


After sunset

by Shirohimesstories



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Demons, Gore, Horror, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-04-25 00:14:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 61,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4939351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shirohimesstories/pseuds/Shirohimesstories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Shizaya)Curiousity killed the cat-In Izaya's case his inquisitiveness- could mean his death. After trolling at a "demon summoning", he obviously doesn't believe in at all, he finds himself experiencing strange things- and suddenly the great, confident informant of Ikebukuro.. doesn't seem all that confident anymore..maybe Shizuo can help him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

6 days after the summoning

7pm- the sun… is setting…

-Izaya´s point of view. Izaya´s apartment-

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!"

CRASH

What the heck?!

Mad- oh god he was mad!

Mad wasn´t even sufficient to describe just how- how damn fucking annoyed and angry he was!

He hadn´t slept, for five whole nights-

Five!

His patience ran out long ago. And the phone that had just ended up being crashed on the wall- was just another outcome of his rage.

Oh yes Izaya was furious, no infuriated!

He had just entered his apartment, while talking to one of these guys he had sniffed out.

But oh, did he receive any useful- no scratch that- even in any sense rational explanation?!

No!

He had not!

Of course, even the main leader of this "satanistic group" was equally mentally disordered as the rest- they were all mental cases it seemed! No matter how Izaya threatened the guy, he wouldn´t spill who really was doing all these things!

No matter, who, when, how or what he asked, the answer was always the same- "It was the demon!"- "Oh, it has to be the demon!"-"It´s the demon´s work!"-"It´s your fault, you insulted the demon!"

Demon here, demon there-

Seriously, were they really that stupid to believe such nonsense? Or were they just fucking with him?!

Annoyed Izaya rubbed his temples as he stopped going in circles around his room.

Another bad habit he had taken on during this whole incident.

Well, thinking back, after what he had heard during their "summoning" he should have guessed already that these guys seriously had a screw loose.

They didn´t just act- they were really that crazy.

Izaya would have laughed his ass off at the insanity of these poor people and maybe have been fascinated by the human mind and how it was even able to be convinced into something so unbelievable if he hadn´t already been fed up with this shit day ago.

A demon. Yeah, right.

So all these strange things that were happening to me these past days were a "demon´s" fault- surely.

He refused to believe such nonsense. He refused to believe that his "little fun" last week could have led to... to this!

Of course, who the heck would?!

Well, okay, he admitted he believed into the supernatural somehow- as far as it regarded dullahans, cursed Japanese swords like Saika- sure, okay, that he believed, he had seen it with his own eyes- but this? No way.

Angrily, he let himself slump in his chair. He leaned back, and rubbed his temples annoyed.

The cut on his arm still stung.

One of them was it. He was sure of it. He made fun of those dumb Satan worshipers.

Of course, how could he not? They seriously believed they could summon a demon just with some scribbled painting on a floor, that wasn´t even well done by the way- and some prayer they had written themselves.

Oh, and please, let´s not forget those oh so important candles that had to have the right color- fitting the demon! Really, that had been fun, he couldn´t remember the last time he had laughed so much.

They really thought they could summon something from the underworld- oh no, no, not the underworld, how did that leader call it? Ah yeah- the "lords realm".

Suuure..

Of course he had made fun of them, seriously, who would not?!

He turned his computer on.

God, whoever the heck was fucking with him that much, he would get them, and ooooh, they would regret every last damn prank they played on him- including cutting him on his right arm.

He glanced at his front door and exhaled.

Calm down…

At least for tonight he should finally be able to get some goddamn sleep.

The lock had been changed and the room had been thoroughly searched. No-one was here tonight- that he had made sure of.

Sighing, he started typing away on his computer.

He had to calm down a bit.

The past days- no, nights- really had gotten to him. Of course he was not scared, noooo, that was what they wanted to achieve- that was the only thing he was sure of.

No, he was not scared.

Not one bit.

Annoyed. That´s what he was, just utterly annoyed.

Everything he had seen so far could be easily explained with rational terms.

He glanced at the clock. 7:28pm.

It was still early... either way, today he would just finish up the urgent or important deals, and then he would call it a day.

As long as he had gone without sleep during work- five nights were too much. He couldn´t afford lacking in efficiency on his job because of sleep deprivation.

That wouldn´t be professional at all- and he planned to maintain his status as the best information broker in Ikebukuro if possible.

"Let´s see…" and so he started working. Reading mails checking out his different websites- the chatroom, important files on various people he needed information on- passing them on to his clients- just the usual.

Around half an hour went by.

The lights in his apartment changed. From being well illuminated it slowly started to get darker.

The sun- was setting.

Yawning Izaya looked up from his work. He was really tired.

8:04pm.

He sighed and turned his computers off.

"Let´s leave it." He mumbled to himself while stretching his sluggish body in front of his huge window.

The sky was tinted in beautiful red as the sun had almost completely disappeared from the horizon immersing the city in crimson light.

He couldn´t prevent another yawn from escaping his lips, bringing tears to his eyes. Lazily he rubbed them away with his sleeves.

He decided to not set an alarm for tomorrow. It was Sunday anyway, for once he would do what just anyone else in this city was usually doing on a free day- sleep in.

Wearily he made his way up to his bedroom. He chuckled.

He couldn´t remember the last time he went to sleep while the sun was still out… made him feel like a child again.

Sighing, he closed his door, shut the curtains to get the room almost completely dark. This was certainly the first time he anticipated sleep that much.

Neatly he placed his knife under his cushion- of course it was always there- just for safety.

*Scratch* *scratch* *scratch*

He froze- and stared at his door.

Just stared for a second- hoping he had just imagined that just now.

But no.

*Scratch* *scratch* *scratch*

He didn´t.

*Scratch* *scratch* *scratch*

There it was- the scratching at his bedroom door-

Oh no, not again...!

That was the first thought running through his mind as he felt rage rushing through his body almost instantly.

It wasn´t even a second he needed to get his knife back from under his cushion and jump up from his bed.

In a heartbeat, he dashed over to his bedroom door and slammed it open.

"OKAY, WHOEVER THE FUCK IT IS, THAT`S HERE, LEAVE ME ALONE!" he was standing in the door frame, pointing the blade at whoever was standing there and scratching at his god damned door.

However- just as always- there was no-one.

Whoever it was, he was fucking gone again!

Pissed off Izaya cursed as he flicked on the light and went down into his living room.

His eyes darted around scanning his surroundings, the grip on his blade never loosening.

Where is that bastard?!

His new door lock could only be opened by a code he himself typed in, so how the hell did that guy even get in here again?!

*Scratch* *scratch* *scratch*

Immediately Izaya turned around- the scratching had come from his bedroom door again- but there was nobody!

It was even open for god´s sake!

How can he scratch that fast and then disappear?!

"Come on… What do you want, huh?!" Izaya yelled, looking around, constantly glancing over his shoulder- making sure that nobody would sneak up on him.

"Is it money?! Name your price!"

He was fed up with this. Sleep, that was all he wanted now, and if he could buy it, fine so be it. But there was no answer.

"Information maybe? What is it you wanna know?" he tried.

He was met with silence yet again.

"SAY SOMETHING DAMN IT!" he swore. He couldn´t remember the last time he was that angry. He just wanted to sleep- was that too much to ask for?!

"Oi I am talking to you, you damn- Eww..!" Disgusted Izaya shook his leg as he felt something cold crawl it up.

Cringing he looked at a cockroach slipping out of his pants. He stomped on it, efficiently killing it.

Where the heck did that come from...?

He dedicated his attention again on his surroundings, despite nothing being there, that he could really focus his attention on.

He stood there for what felt like a few minutes.

There was nothing to hear.

Nothing to feel.

Nothing to see.

He lowered his guard a bit.

No scratching.

…

Did that guy leave?

Izaya pondered on that idea for a while. Maybe one of his requests caught his attention…?

Of course he wouldn´t just come out and say, hey yes please, I want this and that… no no no, he would keep himself hidden in the shadows.

Relieved Izaya lowered his knife.

That... seemed pretty rational for once. Oh, how nice this would be.

He turned his attention back to the disgusting creature squished on the floor.

"Where the heck did that even come from…?" he wondered aloud, nudging the animal with his foot.

It didn´t move.

Good, it was really dead.

With those armored insects you could never know, they were damn persistent.

Suddenly he noticed some movement underneath his couch. He leaned down.

"What the…" there were even more of those critters. Around ten or even more were leisurely crawling along his floor, aiming towards… his window?

No, not his window, they were coming… from the curtain..?

Slowly Izaya got up again and started moving towards the curtain of his window. It looked almost, as if there were even more of them!

What the fuck, where are they coming from?

How did-

"Izaya…"

Instantly the raven stopped in his tracks.

That whisper again. That dark, husky whisper.

Immediately he got his guard up again. He gulped. The last time he heard that whisper, he ignored it and as a result got that cut on his arm.

Okay. The bastard didn´t leave it seemed.

And it was the same dark breathy voice again.

Definitely a guy. Izaya thought as he slowly backed away towards the door.

Fuck this, he was fed up, he would crash at Shinra´s place today. Even if it meant he finally had to tell the bespectacled what was going on.

Even if he had to admit, he for once lost to someone. Yes, that guy managed to chase him away from his own apartment. He admitted it. He lost.

The sudden ringing of his phone snapped him out of his thoughts.

Quickly he flung it out of his pocket- not looking who was calling. His stare was still solely fixated on his surroundings. After all, he wasn´t alone.

"Yes?" he asked, still alerted.

"What the fuck was that flea?!" surprised Izaya rose his eyebrow.

"Shizu-chan? What gives? Why are you calling me?"

"Why am I- you damn flea, you know exactly why I am calling you! Don´t play dumb!"

"No Shizu-chan, I don´t know what you are calling for, so if you would please enlighten me, just what urged you to call me, I would be utterly delighted." He sighed.

He wouldn´t admit it… but having the blond on the other side of his phone really calmed him down somehow.

He looked around his apartment again.

Okay, the door was at his back, and in front of him there was no-one, no matter where he looked, and he really didn´t have that many good hiding places in his apartment.

An annoyed growl was heard through the phone. Curious Izaya waited for an answer. For once he really didn´t know what the brute was talking about.

He took a step towards the middle of the living room, glancing into his bedroom.

The lights were still on, and it also seemed empty.

"I am talking about that damn thing that was following you around today!" Shizuo finally answered. But Izaya was just getting more confused.

"Hah? What thing? Nobody was following me around today Shizu-chan." He replied, wondering what the heck the protozoan meant as he went over to the curtain again. He lifted it up- the cockroaches were gone.

"You know what I am talking about! What was that?! It bit Celty!" Izaya frowned.

"Hah?" No matter how hard he thought about it, he seriously couldn´t make sense of what the blond was saying. He sighed and leaned on the backrest of his couch.

"Shizu-chan, what you´re saying doesn´t make sense at all." He clarified one last time checking his surroundings.

The scratching had stopped. The calling of his name too. He sighed.

He wouldn´t exactly deny it, but maybe- maybe he was just paranoid and imagined those sounds.

Yes. That would actually be a pretty good explanation.

It was a common fact, that sleep deprivation could lead to hallucinations easily, and he didn´t sleep at all for five days, so…

"You damn flea, don´t evade my question! What was that?!" Izaya turned around sighing aiming to go to his bedroom as he looked around one last time.

"Shizu-chan, please, I already said-"

Suddenly time seemed to stand still-

His heart stopped as he looked outside his window.

It was dark.

His apartment´s lights were on.

Izaya could see his living room reflected in his window.

Izaya could see the reflection of himself in it.

And he could see… something standing behind his back- staring right into his eyes.

"AAAAAH!" a scream louder than any cry that had left his mouth so far tore from his lips as he flung himself towards the window- away from… whatever the fuck it was that was standing behind him!

He crashed against the window, and turned around, pressing his back to it as he tried making out what was in front of him.

Nothing.

"Izaya?!"

It had disappeared!

Heart beating at a dangerous pace Izaya held his knife protectively in front of his body. He was trembling and it was shaking considerably- Izaya was not looking like any convincing threat at all.

"Oi Izaya!" the phone had slipped out of his hands when he dashed and was lying in the middle of his room. Still on it seemed. He could hear Shizuo´s voice from it.

Anxious his eyes darted around.

Where?!

Where did that come from?!

What was that?!

Was it still here?!

Where?!

"IZAYA!" Izaya gulped. A mask, god damn that had to have been a mask, because what he saw… a shaky breath left his lips… what he saw- was by no means human.

That.. That looked like some… some dead animal´s skull.. With white… clear white eyes and.. God…

He quickly scanned his surroundings and dashed back to the door, picking up his phone in the process.

Out.

Out.

Out.

That was the only thought playing on his mind. It was the only thing he wanted.

It was the only thing he cared for.

Quickly he typed in the code.

-Beep- wrong code- access denied-

"WHAT?!" a shrill shriek left his mouth.

No no no no no!

He typed in again- and again- and again!

But each time it was the same.

-Access denied-

"Fuck!" God damnit! He wanted out!

Out! Now!

"Oi Izaya what happened?!"

Shizuo!

Quickly he brought the device back to his ear. He turned around, back facing the door as he held his knife in front of him.

"Oi, where are you?!" he asked the blond anxious.

"Huh?"

"I asked where you are!" he repeated frustrated. God damn, couldn´t that brute choose any other time to be stupid?!

He waited. But he did not answer!

"Oi Shizuo?! I asked where you are, are you going to answer me or not?!" A clear of throat was heard.

"… Near your apartment actually… why?" A relieved sigh escaped his lips.

Good.

Good good good.

This was fantastic!

"Shizuo, I will give you everything you want- money, information, humiliate me- no matter what if you come up here and break down my front door!" he ordered. He was dead serious.

There was a short span of silence only broken by coughs. Izaya imagined Shizuo had just choked on his cigarette.

"You want me to do what?!" was the only response he got.

"Now Shizuo! I am serious! I will do anything! Just come up here as fast as you can!" Izaya repeated desperately.

"Why?!" Oh god, couldn´t that damn brute just do what he asked him to?! Did he always need a reason?!

He inhaled deeply.

Calm down.

He wanted something from Shizuo not the other way round, he reminded himself. He started explaining.

"Shizuo, look, I have no idea why, but I am locked in my apartment and there seems to..."

Izaya faded out.

The light in his bedroom had gone out.

There…

There was something.

Izaya gulped. He could feel the adrenaline running through his veins telling him to run.

He could see it.

Heavy tremors shook his body as the creature crawled into the door frame.

He wanted to escape.

But he couldn´t.

It didn´t have pupils, its eyes were white.

It was staring at him.

It was breathing, it was… grinning.

That thing… was not fake.

"Sh-Shizuo…" he didn´t dare to do more than whisper.

Run, all he wanted to do was to run.

All his senses were telling him to run.

He wanted to run.

"Shizuo… hurry… please."

He flinched.

It moved!

It moved!

Slowly, its skeleton mouth hanging agape it approached him.

Izaya pressed himself further into the door.

"Shizuo… " a tear rolled down his cheek.

Fuck. He was scared!

Shit, he admitted it!

He was scared!

"… Hurry…"

.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I manage to scare you~? Nah, I bet I didn´t xD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this~  
> PS.: Just if someone is wondering yeeeeesss~ that creature was real. xD the flea is not insane~ ;3


	2. The summoning

6 days before prologue

-A few minutes after midnight. In a cellar. Izaya´s point of view-

Oh god!

Oh god oh god oh god! Seriously, this…! This was just too much fun!

Even though he had already slapped a hand over his mouth, Izaya barely, really only barely could hold back his laughter anymore. Honestly.

Were they serious? Were they really serious?

He couldn´t help but doubt it, even though he definitely knew that wasn´t the case.

They were believing it just like he expected them to! They really believed they summoned something!

Honestly, Izaya didn´t think today would end up being this fun.

He almost wished Namie would be here, so she would see just how amusing this "unnecessary" trolling of him was. That witch definitely missed something out.

Izaya tried to hold back his chuckling, as the others bowed in front of "the demon".

-A few hours earlier. Afternoon. Shinjuku. Izaya´s point of view.-

Busy Izaya walked down the street. He was heading for his apartment while typing on his phone.

He was satisfied. Today was a good day.

No, a great day even!

He just finished a few very good deals, and got hands on some pieces of information he could put to good use in future events- concerning both, work and his mind playing games on his beloved humans.

Moreover, he just went to Simon´s and he had 50% off day for otooro. With the meal being carried in a small box, Izaya skipped along the street grinning.

Oh yes, this was indeed a very good day.

Only one thing was missing that would complete such a magnificent day, where everything went the way he planned, to perfection.

Shizu-chan.

He smirked as he pondered on the idea to pay a quick visit to Ikebukuro. Getting his monster in rage and being chased through the city would be a great ending for such a good day.

But… he knew he wouldn´t meet him in Ikebukuro.

He heard from various sources, that Tanaka-san was away for the week, visiting some kind of old relative he heard, so that protozoan was probably just at home doing whatever.

Since he couldn´t do any other job without being fired for more than an hour anyway.

It would be fun to actually go to his apartment. Izaya smirked.

Oh yes, just seeing Shizuo´s surprised face would be quite entertaining. The last time he had done that was... when?

More than a few months ago, he assumed, oh how angry that brute was when he found Izaya was the one standing in front of his door.

Now that he thought about it, he didn´t actually get to enter, right? The blond was immediately on his heels when he opened the door and he didn´t have the opportunity to look at it with attention.

His interest was definitely piqued. He wondered whether the blond´s apartment would be partly destroyed, because he expected the brute to be just as short tempered as on the street, or if he maybe would be surprised with something else.

He grinned as he turned on his heels and headed in the direction of Ikebukuro.

Okay, it´s decided.

His beloved monster would have uncalled visit today.

How should he agitate him this time? Should he mention Kasuka again? Oh, how that set the blond into rage when he mentioned the expressionless actor. Well, usually just mentioning his nickname or just showing up was already enough to anger Shizuo, but his brother? That was on a whole different level.

And since today was such a good day he would try to piss of the blond even more than he did usually. Meaning, Kasuka would play a part in his teasing as well.

He smirked evilly, as he skipped along the streets heading in the direction of Ikebukuro.

Oh yes, teasing the blond, letting him destroy parts of the city, and outrun him after a while- that was the plan.

Was.

Izaya kept walking down the street as he casually glanced over his shoulder from time to time. A few minutes passed by as he was on his way to Ikebukuro, until he finally reached a conclusion.

No mistake.

After turning around some unnecessary corners, that just lead him to go in circles, he was sure of it.

…

Someone was following him around.

Intrigued by the fact that he was being pursued, Izaya took off in a run- making his followers dash after him as well.

However, he didn´t plan to just run away of course, no, not before he knew who was following him and why.

The next alley, he remembered to be a dead end he dashed into, stopped, and turned around, hands in his pockets, closing around his knife as he waited for his predators to dash around the corner as well.

As far as he saw it shouldn´t be too many, and considering how obvious they were following him around they probably weren´t too dangerous either.

Exactly as he planned, a few seconds later two surprisingly young boys dashed around the corner- they were no older than 16 or 17 Izaya guessed.

Staggered they stopped as they crossed eyes with the dangerous informant, standing right in front of them.

One of the two even looked as if he was about to leave, but Izaya wasn´t going to let him do so of course. He quickly flung out one of his loose blades and threw it in front of the guy´s feet. Immediately he tensed and stood still.

That one wasn´t going to run anywhere.

Good.

Now let the questioning begin.

"Okay now, why were you following me around?" Izaya asked, and he had to admit, he really was kinda intrigued, just what their intention was. They were quite young, he didn´t do any deals with people of that age- too risky and unreliable of course.

So they probably weren´t the usual hired killers or angry clients he had to deal with.

Interesting.

The guys, however just stared at him, struggling with words.

"Uhmm.. that is.. well..."the right one stuttered.

"What?" Izaya questioned, rolling his eyes.

Oh great, he was the stuttering type...

"We wanted you to come with us!" the guy on the left, suddenly blurted out, still eyeing Izaya rather anxious.

Said raven rose his eyebrow in surprise. Well, this was unusual. Random people asking him to go with them? What a weird approach.

"Come with you? Where to? Why?" he continued asking. The left guy cleared his throat.

"I am Hira and this is Shuuji." He pointed at his stuttering friend.

"We want you to come with us, because you, Orihara Izaya-san, are said to be the most evil and mischievous scheming person in this city... It´s common courtesy that you always involve people in your evil schemes." he began.

Izaya just gaped at the guy a second, before breaking out into heartfelt laughter.

The most mischievous person in Shinjuku, oh he could testify that, there was probably no-one causing more mischief than him in whole Japan. He would prefer to be called manipulating instead of mischievous, but they got a point. He chuckled, and pointed his knife at the young boys.

"So what? Want to kill me and get famous for it?" he asked, still chuckling. No matter how he looked at these guys, they were no challenge for him at all. Even if they tried something, they would lose in seconds.

"N-no, that´s not it!" Shuuji suddenly stuttered.

Oh..? Now Izaya´s interest really got piqued. First telling him he was evil, but not wanting to harm him?

...hmmm...

"You said you wanted me to go somewhere with you, how is that connected to me being evil?" he asked. Oh, this day suddenly had turned so much more interesting.

"A-actually, we want to s-summon a demon tonight called A-akem Manah- he is the demon of m-mischief and evil intention… so we thought that.. uhm… " the guy faded out, playing nervously with his hands.

" -maybe we would have a better chance in summoning him if we had someone similar to him in our ceremony...That´s why we want you to come with us, is what Shuuji tried to say." Hira continued.

"Eh?" Izaya stared at the guys.

What the fuck?

He really had to hold back, to not just laugh at those poor, obviously a tad crazy guys.

Now he knew what was going on here. It wasn´t the first time he had encountered or seen people trying to summon something of the Netherworld either for their own purpose or others, but this... this was certainly new.

Someone recruiting him because he was close to a demon- wow, what a compliment.

Well, he loved humans, all of them, no matter what religion they shared or who they believed was god or in this case demon, humans were humans, interesting in their reactions and behavior, no matter what they did.

Of course, he didn´t believe in this crap at all, this was just another attempt of humanity to explain everything happening around them so they could rest at ease and think they had some sort of explanation...

Because what is it that humans fear? Lack of information. Not knowing what´s going to happen after death, what´s outside the universe and so on…

Pretty natural actually.

He looked at the clock on his phone.

7:30pm

Well, he couldn´t say he was flattered by being called a demon, and usually he didn´t even take a second glance at this kind of people… but... right now he actually pondered on the idea of really going with them.

He snickered as he approached the guys. Without warning, he patted them on the shoulders and nodded, they tensed immediately.

"Okay, when and where is that summoning of yours?" he asked smirking.

They were just kids in his eyes, no threat, just fun. Who knew, maybe he would find out something more about Celty´s head and the realm he, or that brave warrior in the Norse mythology, would be brought in, if he went with them.

It wouldn´t hurt to add a bit of information to his already average sized brain. Initially he had planned to go home by now buuuut~ oh, it had been long since the last time he had trolled some people that special kind of crazy.

Suicidal girls were getting boring, and anyone else was acting as he expected as well, well, except for Shizu-chan of course.

These guys would be a nice change for a while.

Said guys looked at him rather astonished.

"You really will come with us?!" they asked in unison. Izaya only shrugged at that.

"If it doesn´t consume too much of my precious time…" he threw in.

"Yosh! We got Izaya!" Hira laughed, but immediately stopped as he eyed the raven again.

"Ah, I mean Orihara-san." he quickly corrected himself. Izaya just shrugged, though.

"Call me what you want, I don´t care."

A demon summoning, ka?

"And how are you going to do that "summoning" it is?" He asked a bit amused but not showing it of course. As if he had just asked the right question Hira started rambling with glittering eyes, while Shuuji just kept his mouth shut.

"With a special ritual, fitting for a noble creatures like them of course." He answered quickly.

"Them?" Izaya repeated in a questioning manner.

"Oh, we want to summon two demons actually. One is called Akem Manah, the demon of mischief, and the second Kuntilanak, a low class demon. We want to summon them here only for a short while though, just to exchange some words with them." He explained.

Oh? Two demons at that? The raven had a hard time to try and hold back his laughter.

"And where, or rather when will this take place?" Izaya asked hiding his amusement.

Oh, this certainly was going to be fun.

-Half an hour later. Back at Izaya´s apartment. Izaya´s point of view-

"AHAHAHAHAH! Could you believe it Namie?! This is exactly why humans are so interesting!"

Izaya laughed as he spun in his chair. Since the "summoning" was only at midnight, he had lots of time beforehand and the first thing he did reaching home, was telling Namie of his overly amusing plans for tonight.

The secretary didn´t really sound all that interested though, like usual.

"They really believed what they were saying! For god´s sake, sometimes I really am astonished just how dense people can be!"

He laughed, got up from his chair and skipped over to his game.

"Oh, maybe you should believe it, if what they said is true, being a demon and all, you will have a good life after you die. Since you will go to hell." Namie replied stoically, not even looking up once from the documents Izaya had given her.

"Aww what nice words Namie, but sadly I have to disagree, hell and heaven are such brutish descriptions, they don´t apply, no…" Izaya shook his head sighing playfully, while placing some pieces on his chessboard again as he stood up from his chair.

He had just received a mail telling him really interesting facts about the location of a certain individual he had been searching for.

Even more good news!

"I believe what is waiting for us after death is even greater than that. Don´t tell me you already forgot how I am going to make a war only fought by myself? I shall be the only one saved." He laughed, taking one of the pieces and set it on fire.

Namie didn´t even raise an eyebrow at that action- since he had burned the whole game board some time ago, she didn´t even ask anymore why he was doing what he was doing.

"Yeah sure, believe what you want. So you are going there and laughing your ass off while they do their summoning seriously?" She asked facial expression not really changing and sorted the documents Izaya had given her. They were a fucking shitload of course... as usual.

"Oh no Namie, you should know me better than that~ I am going to make this even more fun of course~!" Izaya laughed while dropping the burning figure in the dustbin, and pouring some water on it.

Namie irked an eyebrow.

"Even more fun?" she questioned.

"I won´t only watch, I will try to convince them to believe their summoning actually worked~"Izaya started, strolling back to his favourite chair and letting himself slump into it. Namie watched him with squinted eyes.

"What are you planning?"

"Oh? Curious Namie, are we?" Izaya glanced at his secretary. She had stopped sorting the files and was just staring at him.

"No- not one bit."she replied, turning back to her work.

Izaya grinned as he typed away on his computer. Before he went to that summoning he would gather a bit of information.

"Messing with another religion, belief or culture, is not a wise thing to do... don´t you complain if it comes and bites you in the ass later.." Namie suddenly threw in, making Izaya look up and stare at her in surprise.

"Oh, giving me advice, don´t tell me, you´re worried about me?!" he gasped playfully.

"No, I just wanna get paid if possible. As far as it concerns me you can go die." Izaya chuckled.

Just what he had expected her to say.

-30 minutes before midnight. In a cellar. Izaya´s point of view.-

Oh yes, how right he was, this was definitely fun.

As said he met those guys again, however this time they were dressed rather weird; each of them wore long black frocks. Izaya was handed one of them to wear as well, and now they lead him quietly into the cellar of an old apartment building.

"H-here Orihara-san, this is w-where the summoning will take place." Shuuji told him and pointed down the stairs.

Oh?

Curious Izaya scanned his surroundings as he entered the clearence at the end of it. It was a rather small allowance, containing only one window directly opposite of the stairs leading to the elbowroom. The walls were painted black, and on the ground two more guys were sitting- also in these black frocks- and drawing some kind of seal with white paint on the floor.

"That´s the sigil w-we will use f-for the summoning." Shuuji stuttered. "H-here." He handed him a piece of paper. Curious Izaya unfolded it.

The exact same seal that those two guys were drawing could be seen on it.

Izaya tried to hold back an amused grin as he compared the one on the ground with the one on the paper. They were obviously lousy at drawing.

The seal on the floor wasn´t even circular- it looked more like an egg shape, and the symbols, as well as the pentagram in it were blurred. Some ends of the star didn´t even connect with what was supposed to be a circle.

Honestly, this was some lousy demon summoning.

"Okay, let´s start." Hira suddenly announced, as the two on the floor finished their painting.

They got up and seeing as they were five people, including Izaya, everyone found their correct place at one of the star's tip.

Some candles, in black and blue were put in the middle of the circle, and lit.

Izaya grinned. How perfect. These would help him greatly in trolling those guys.

"Usually you should use only black candles for a summoning, but blue is okay too." Hira told Izaya, standing on the tip of the star to the right of him.

Izaya snorted shortly, trying to hold back his laughter. Oh really, how important, the demons liked black color.

"Okay, close your eyes and visualize the sigil in your mind as well as you can. It is ok to open your papers and look at the sigil again to get a clearer image." The guy on Izaya´s left started. He was one of the two who were drawing the seal before, considering their frocks all had black hoodies, Izaya couldn´t really see the guys face though.

"We need to invite them formally, demons are not allowed to just randomly appear in our world, therefore, repeat after me when the clock strikes twelve." He announced pointing to a clock hanging right next to the window.

5 minutes till midnight.

"Do I have to do that too?" Izaya asked, trying to sound as serious as he could manage.

"No, just imagine that sigil if possible." Hira answered whispering.

"Let´s recite the prayer once before the actual summoning." The guy to the left announced, clearing his throat.

"Lord Satan, by your grace, grant me, I pray thee the power to conceive in my mind and to execute that which I desire to do, the end which I would attain by thy help-" he began, the others speaking after him in chorus.

The sound kinda sent goosebumps down Izaya´s spine. He always found groups of people mumbling some kind of chanting in unison seriously to be kind of exhilarating, no matter what they were talking about.

Well at least the content of their prayer seemed to be kinda okay- compared to the circle at least.

"O Mighty Satan," he continued. "-the one true God who livest and reignest forever and ever. I entreat thee to inspire Akem Manah and Kuntilanak to manifest before me that they may give me true and faithful answer, so that I may accomplish my desired end.

This I respectfully and humbly ask in Your Name, Lord Satan, may you deem me worthy, Father."

Izaya had to hold back his laughter as he heard them all chant their prayer. Oh god. Really now? Father?

One of the guys left the circle shortly to turn off the lights- now it was almost completely dark.

Only barely Izaya could make out the clock on the wall, being hardly illuminated by the few candles in the middle of the room.

*Dong* *dong*

–it was midnight.

"Now all of you- recite!" the guy ordered, starting his prayer yet again.

Izaya chuckled slightly as all of the guys closed their eyes, imagining the sigil he guessed, and chanted their words.

Oh how serious and concentrated they looked! Izaya waited for them to finish reciting their prayer once, before gripping the blades in his pocket.

Let´s start~

Quickly, without being noticed by the guys he flung out one of his blades- the flying force eradicated the light from five of the thirteen candles, while gasping playfully

"Oh look! The candles have gone out!" Instantly the guys paused their prayer, opened their eyes and looked at the candles standing in the middle of the room.

Izaya threw another blade and let two more go out. Agitated whisper was heard through the room.

Izaya really had to hold back not to laugh as he extinguished three more of them.

"Dear holy demons, are you here? If so, then give us a sign!" Hira said. Izaya really had to hold back his laughter, as he put out two more candles, leaving only one more to burn.

Their astonished gasps really were too funny.

"Look!" Izaya could see Shuuji pointing at something on the ground. Izaya eyed the spot.

Eew, there were cockroaches. Quite a lot even.

He cringed. How disgusting.

Neatly they were crawling in from of a spiral within the circle.

Izaya stared at them fascinated. Oh?

It seems there was someone messing with these guys here, except himself.

He followed the trail of cockroaches, and barely could make them out coming from the guy to the left of him.

The one of the two who drew the seal, and started the chanting. Izaya chuckled, the guy probably put some kind of food around the circle so the cockroaches would crawl that way.

Only now Izaya noticed, that the guy was standing way closer to him than before.

Suddenly he whispered in a rather dark voice- way darker than before, making Izaya wonder how he could do that.

"You put those candles out, am I right?" he whispered. Izaya grinned, and nodded slightly.

"Good work with the cockroaches, it seems there is at least one more person here sane enough to not believe this crap." He chuckled softly.

"You think this is fun…?"

"You too I guess since you threw those bugs in there." Izaya countered.

Silence.

The guy didn´t say anything to that.

Of course he wouldn´t admit anything, if one of his friends heard him it wouldn´t end too well for him Izaya guessed. Or maybe he wanted to achieve something with this? Who knew.

"So you don´t believe they could summon something?" the guy suddenly asked.

"Oh please no." Izaya laughed, quickly slapping a hand over his mouth as he threatened to be heard.

"These sprouts? With such a sloppy sigil, no offense but it really is lousy, and no knowledge except for paying attention to candle colors? No way." he whispered back.

The guy didn´t say anything more though, so Izaya continued.

"Demons don´t exist, and even if they did, they would just be some useless off sprouts of the true "lord", nothing more than plagiarism, false copies, a waste."

He laughed. Really now, this was fun.

"You agree I guess, right?" Izaya asked, and turned to face the guy, however he was again at his position at the tip of the star.

Izaya chuckled, oh, so now he went back?

... but he sure was quick. Swapping positions so fast.

He grinned. Okay, now it was time for the real trolling.

"Aah!" he faked a shocked scream as he backed away from the circle, drawing all the attention to him instantly.

"What´s wrong?" Hira asked.

"The demon! Akem Manah! I can see him!" Izaya said, pointing to the middle of the circle.

"What?!" Immediately all of them turned to look into the center of the sigil. But except the candles there was nothing. Of course. Izaya couldn´t help but let a quick smirk cross his face as he continued his show.

"But he is there! I see him! With his animal skull like face, and those horns on his head, he is here!" Izaya explained, trying to look as astonished as he could.

Oh yes, he knew what that demon of mischief was supposed to look like. He had informed himself about the guy before coming here. He also found out, that supposedly only few people were even "spiritual" enough to be able to actually see a demon.

Instantly the guys got on their knees and bowed in front of where the demon was supposed to be.

"Oh holy, Akem Manah, we humbly apologize for not noticing you earlier. Welcome to our world." The second guy who was drawing the seal apologized.

"Welcome to our world." all the others chanted.

Oh god!

Oh god oh god oh god! Seriously, this…! This was just too much fun!

Even though he had already slapped a hand over his mouth, Izaya barely, really only barely could hold back his laughter anymore. Honestly.

Were they serious? Were they really serious?

He couldn´t help but doubt it, even though he knew that definitely wasn´t the case.

They were believing it just like he expected them to! They really believed they summoned something!

He almost wished Namie would be here, so she would see just how amusing this "unnecessary" trolling of him was. That witch definitely missed something out.

Izaya tried to hold back his chuckling, as the others bowed in front of the demon.

Honestly, Izaya didn´t think today would end up being this fun.

Quickly he resumed his act.

"He is talking!" Izaya announced, putting on a serious expression again.

"I think he is mad." he added earning a terrified look from the guys.

"M-mad?!" Shuuji asked obviously horrified.

"Yes, he says he has been here a few times before, but you didn´t notice him at all." Izaya tried. He bet those guys didn´t do this summoning business the first time. Some parts of the seal on the ground looked like they had been drawn long before this night.

It seems he gambled well on that fact, instantly their faces went pale and they bowed once more.

"We apologize, please forgive us for being unworthy to notice your presence!" they pleaded.

Izaya smirked shortly.

"He says he won´t forgive you, except..." he faded out.

"Except what?!" Hira asked.

"Except all of you take a waterproof pencil and write "I am stupid" on your forehead." Izaya finished, really, really trying to sound as serious as he could, despite what he said.

They looked at him confused.

"He wants us to do what?"

"You heard me, I would do it fast if I were you, he really looks angry." Izaya said in a terrified voice. Instantly they got up from the ground, searching for some kind of pencil or marker.

"W-what about you?" Shuuji questioned shortly.

"Oh I don´t have to do it, since I wasn´t the one summoning and then ignoring him in the past." Izaya countered quickly.

"Oh Akem Manah-sama, please forgive us!" the guy to his left suddenly pleaded, while getting a black text marker from a cupboard in the cellar.

Izaya rose an eyebrow. Oh? He wasn´t going to blow his cover? The raven chuckled.

That´s even better.

Highly amused he watched as they wrote the said words on their forehead.

"Is he satisfied now?" Hira asked, having finished painting the words on his forehead.

Izaya really had to hold back his laughter as he shook his head.

"No. He just said, if you really want him to forgive you, you have to jump on one leg while chanting the words you wrote five times." he declared.

And they did it.

They really fucking did it! Within a few seconds they were jumping up and down, chanting they were stupid.

That´s it. Izaya would have loved to continue this a bit longer, but he couldn´t hold back his laughter anymore.

The guys eyed him confused as he burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face as he couldn´t take it anymore.

"Orihara-san? What´s going on?" Izaya, however, just laughed at the guy.

"I can´t anymore!" Izaya laughed, as he wiped away the tears. "You really believed I saw that demon! Honestly, just how stupid are you?!" he asked while removing that annoying frock of his body.

"Huh? What do you..."

"There was never a demon here to begin with! But you just went and believed me, even though you knew how "mischievous" I am." he giggled, while approaching the circle.

"This-" Izaya's foot smoothed along the white conjuring insignia, destroying part of it. "-was all fake. You never summoned anything." he laughed.

The guys stared at him in disbelief.

"You asshole!" Hira was the first to actually say something. Izaya, however, wasn´t even offended, the opposite, he laughed, considering the guy had the words "I am stupid" written on his forehead, even if he wanted to he couldn´t take him seriously.

"Honestly, I didn´t think this would be so much fun. Now where is your demon? Hm? You should just go home instead of hoping for some kind of demon to appear that would enlighten your pathetically boring life." he chuckled earning obviously annoyed glares from the guys- even from the one he talked to earlier he noticed.

Was he still playing his part? Admirable.

"After all, a demon is just a nasty product of the human mind." he laughed further, while turning around, his hand waving playfully as he went up the stairs.

He bowed down playfully, waving at them before disappearing from the door frame completely.

"I have to go now, but it has been fun fucking with you minna-san." he giggled and disappeared upstairs.

-1am. Izaya´s apartment. Izaya´s point of view-

Izaya was still laughing when he got home.

"Oh damn, you didn´t die..."Namie sighed as he entered the apartment and stood up from the couch.

"Of course not." Izaya chuckled while going back to his most favourite spot. His swivel chair.

"I am surprised you really stayed." he said. Well actually he was not.

"Double pay the usual for just staying here 5 hours longer on a day I don´t have anything planned? Of course I stayed."

Izaya laughed. Oh Namie was so predictable.

"So, now you wanna tell me what happened or can I go?" Izaya grinned, well actually he just wanted her to stay in case someone "uncalled" visited his apartment. The kind of information he got his hands on today, was something he wouldn´t be surprised getting an uncalled visit for.

But now that she was asking...

"Oh, Namie, you should have been there." Izaya started. Namie sighed as she sat down on the couch again. So it was the first option she guessed.

"So, what did you do that´s so fun?" she asked bored. Izaya grinned.

"I made them write "I am stupid" on their foreheads and jump on one leg while chanting these words." he laughed, holding his stomach at the memory.

Namie snorted, shortly. Okay, she had to admit- that, was kinda fun to imagine. Oh but she wasn´t going to sink to the same level as Izaya, so she kept her stoic expression.

"You really are a bastard you know that?" she asked instead.

Izaya laughed at that comment, when suddenly he saw something drop out of his pocket.

"Ewww…" he cringed his nose as he examined the object.

"What?" Namie asked, seeing the disgusted expression on Izaya´s face.

"I found a cockroach... Must have stuck to my clothes when I left." he snickered. He quickly stomped on the squirming creature- killing it instantly.

He picked it up and dropped it on the table- poking it to make sure it really was dead.

Namie eyed the now dead creature obviously disgusted.

"Ew... I don´t even want to know how that ended up in your pocket." Namie mumbled, though Izaya didn´t listen anyway, his thoughts shifted to something else entirely.

"Now that I think of it... why did that guy play along? He knew I was just bluffing." Izaya thought aloud. "Maybe he thought I really saw something too!" he laughed. Maybe he should start a carreer as actor if his acting was that convincing.

"Oi, since you´re only talking to yourself, can I go now?" Namie asked annoyed, getting up from the couch.

Izaya grinned. "Of course. Oh, but Namie...?"

"Yes?" Namie turned around, only to find a dead cockroach flying right into her face. Disgusted she squealed.

"YOU SICK BASTARD!" Izaya burst out laughing. "I think he likes you more than your brother, take him with you!"

"FUCK YOU!" Well, that was the only response Izaya got, before she stormed out of his apartment and slammed the door shut. Leaving Izaya to laugh by himself.

Oh how fun this was, truly amusing. If someone were to ask him, yes, he enjoyed being an asshole like that.

He turned back to his computers as he began typing away again. Well, it was 1:28 am, but he wasn´t tired at all, and having some work finished beforehand wasn´t bad either.

He slightly eyed his new documents before deciding to skip today´s night of sleep. He wasn´t tired anyway, so why not?

And so he started his usual mecanically endeavor.

-Shinjuku. Kou´s point of view-

Here they were, in front of that bastard´s apartment.

"So this is where he lives Kou?" Hira asked, quite agitated. They both still had that damn sentence "I am stupid" written on their foreheads, and now they were standing right in front of Izaya´s apartment.

"Yes, it is." he replied.

"Okay! Then let´s- woah!" Hira was interrupted while walking towards the high raise´s entrance as Kou held him back on his hoodie.

"Wait." he said, eyeing the building suspicious.

"Huh? Why?" Hira complained.

"It seems we don´t need to do anything..." Kou mumbled as he scanned the building. It was dark, but he could see it clearly.

"What do you mean?" Hira asked, but got no answer. Kou grinned as he looked up the apartment complex.

"A demon is just some nasty product of the human mind you say, I bet you will regret those words soon… look." Cockroaches were crawled along the wall of Izaya´s apartment- slowly, and in a neat row they made their way up to a certain apartment.

Kou grinned.

"I think, we did in fact summon something Hira." he announced, earning a confused glance from the boy.

"..what?" Kou grinned, no mistake, this time they were not being fooled by anyone.

"Insulting holy creatures like that... I hope you are prepared for your doom Orihara Izaya..." he mumbled. "Bow." he ordered Hira as he turned around, facing the opposite direction of the wall- the direction the cockroaches were coming from.

Hira did as told, but eyed Kou confused. He noticed the glance.

"These cockroaches... they were at or summoning too, I thought at first, that it was Izaya bringing them as well since he was standing right next to me, but..." he paused. "-it seems there was something, or rather someone else present at that time- and she still is."

"She?" but Kou didn´t say anything more, instead he quickly hurried Hira to go back, Kuntilanak- was mad.

Quickly they disappeared into the dark, cold night.

The trail of cockroaches... was still crawling...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that´s it xD Well it is just the first chapter, but oh don´t be misslead, next time the creepy stuff will start to show up~ ;3 Well, if you didn´t already think the cockroaches were creepy enough that is xD You are gonna shit your pants next time if that´s the case xD


	3. Cockroaches

\- 10 am. Izaya´s apartment. Izaya´s point of view.-

"Aaand sent~" giggling Izaya spun in his swivel chair.

Oh, what a satisfying feeling it was to be able to finish work that doesn´t even have to be done at the moment. Kinda made him feel superior, ahead of the time itself and the coming events, just like a god was supposed to feel.

A quick glance was thrown to the clock before he lazily jumped up from his seat and stretched his stiff body in a relaxing manner.

He loved his chair, it was the best and most comfortable he ever had, but after a whole night of sitting on it, he sure as hell needed to get up from it for once.

A bit tired Izaya walked over to his big window- casually gazing at the now illuminated city.

It was tinted with orange and yellow. The sun had begun rising half an hour ago and was almost completely up.

As he remembered the night before, a slight smirk flashed across his face.

Right, those kids had written that shit on their foreheads- with a permanent marker.

They probably didn´t get it off until now, ne?

"What a wonderful morning~" Izaya laughed, sitting down on his chair just once more, for the purpose of saving all the data and information he had collected.

He had stumbled across a lot of very interesting things tonight.

Rumors on new gangs, secret deals being made at a frequented bar…

Impatient, he tapped his fingers on the table as the saving bar slowly turned green.

He couldn´t wait to go out and start spreading and selling the information~

Stirring up some rumors, getting some clients into trouble, maybe play with some of his human´s minds again, oohh so many plans for today~

Smirking Izaya withdrew a USB that had been plugged in, eyeing it with a grin.

The data was saved and transferred to the little device. He would get quite a bit of money for selling this little baby to the right people.

He smirked happily as he reached for the power button. He would just turn his computers off, and then he would finally-

"Ouch!" he flinched.

Pain suddenly shot through his arm.

Rapidly he drew his hand back.

What the heck…?!

A bit perplexed Izaya stared at his wrist. There was a cut- a pretty deep cut at that. Blood was oozing out of it steadily.

"What the hell…?" frowning, the raven leaned down and inspected the area around the button while pressing on the wound.

What the heck did he cut himself with…?

There was nothing, just his computer and the table´s legs and desk drawers. Nothing sharp at all.

Rater confused Izaya got to his knees and inspected the area closely, but there really was nothing to be seen.

He even took another look at his wrist, and yes- the cut was still there.

Quickly he pressed onto the power button and got up again.

Weird…

Izaya stared at his still stinging wrist.

It wasn´t bleeding a lot, but still enough for it to be dripping from his hand.

He decided to bandage it, he didn´t want to drip blood all over the floor after all, and went in the direction of the bathroom.

He kept some first aid stuff in his Allibert, just in case the brute or one of his clients actually managed to hurt him and Shinra wasn´t available.

A rattling sound outside his front door made him stop though.

A grin flashed over his face as a well known brunette secretary entered his apartment- obviously still pissed.

"Good morning Namie~ had a good night with your new friend~?" he asked in a taunting voice while quickly grabbing some bandages from the bathroom.

The shriek she gave yesterday when he threw that little critter at her sure was amusing.

A deadly glare was the only thing thrown at him when he returned to his living room though.

"No wonder a creepy bastard like you has no friends. With that creepy personality you have, you will end up rotting on a dumpster- all alone." Namie just replied bitterly, dropping her bag not too gently on the couch as she crossed her arms.

"Aww, come on Namie words like that hurt." Izaya snickered, getting a pile of files and folders, dropping them in the same gentle manner as Namie did with her bag, on the table.

Her eyes went wide as she saw the amount.

"But as you see, right now I am still alive - and your boss. So, how about you categorize this until the afternoon?" he grinned, while wrapping the earlier fetched white fabric around his still bleeding wrist.

Namie didn´t even notice the injury though, her attention was drawn to the huge quantity of documents Izaya had dropped on the desk instead.

"What the fuck?! This is even more than yesterday! You damn, you damn …!" she fumed, searching for the worst insult she could throw at the raven. Izaya laughed sensing her struggle and just shook his head admonitory.

"Namie-chan~ you shouldn´t insult your boss if you wanna get paid~"

An annoyed grumble was the only thing escaping Namie´s lips as she kept silent and instead slumped onto the couch to start sorting the files.

Izaya laughed- oh how he loved this.

Everyone either had to act the way he said, or just acted by themselves just like he expected them to~ Everything was so easy, always moving according to his wishes.

"Oh, and before I forget it, you can do these too, while you´re at it~" he snickered, pulling out yet another stock of folders from his desk.

Namie shot him a glare, almost spelling the words ´are you fucking serious?`

"Damn bastard…" she murmured, making Izaya´s ears perk. Amused, he brought a hand to his ear; in a gesture that implied that he didn´t quite hear her.

"Oh~? What was that~?" Annoyed, she gritted her teeth. She slammed her hand on the table and threw her head to the side as she inhaled angered, ready to yell at the informant.

"I SAID-"

Suddenly she froze.

Her mouth gaped open, and she just stared at Izaya for a second.

"Huh…?"

Confused Izaya noted the petrified look she gave him.

He dropped the smirk and tilted his head questioning.

"…What…?" he asked, looking down himself, seeing if he there was maybe something sticking to him or his clothes that would catch her immediate attention like that.

Namie dropped the confused look and replaced it with her glare again.

Her anger dissipated though, and instead she just replied in her usual stoic voice.

"... nothing..." Izaya noted that she still looked a tad confused. Almost as if Namie was sensing Izaya wanted to know what that was about she explained sighing.

"I just thought you had some kind of… weird bump… on your neck just now.", she declared, gazing at the same spot she had imagined that... thing… to be.

Izaya stared at her for a second, until an overly intelligent sounding "Hah?" escaped his lips.

He started laughing.

"The heck are you imagining Namie? I haven´t heard of someone getting a bump on his neck ever." he announced amused.

Namie just sighed as she continued doing her work.

"Well, just for your information, you actually can get something akin to a bump on your neck. Swollen lymph nodes for example, can make that sort of neck lump." She explained, a grin flashing over her expression, as she continued. "You want to tell me the great informant of Ikebukuro doesn´t know that?" she asked sarcastically.

Izaya frowned at that comment and returned to his desk, grabbing his various phones and coat.

Without another word he approached his secretary yet again, and glared.

"Yes, I do sometimes don´t have knowledge of certain things- are you claiming you do? Then you should quit this job and become an informant instead, ne?"

"Tch..." She glared. If it weren´t for the head Izaya still kept which she could get in trouble for if it were to be found, she would have left ages ago.

But not knowing where exactly he kept it, she had to stick around- and Izaya knew that, the bastard.

Said raven smirked as a reply.

"Thought so." He snickered.

"Ah well~ I am off to Ikebukuro to get some delicious sushi~" he announced, approaching his front door.

"Again?" Namie voiced, rising her eyebrows questioning. "You just had Otooro yesterday if I remember correctly."

Izaya waved her off and shook his head for the lack of her understanding.

"Namie, Namie~ Remember the following: You can never eat too much Otooro." He clarified.

"But you could get killed by Heiwajima-san for example." Namie threw in. "Not that I care, of course." She added shrugging.

That statement only made Izaya laugh though, as he skipped to the door.

"Oh please, as if that brute would ever be able to kill me." He countered. "I will be back in a few hours- I expect you to have finished at least half of your job then." He stated, amused, taking in the scowl she showed before he slipped out of the apartment.

Oh, how he loved to tease her like that. Almost as amusing as teasing Shizu-chan.

Na, scratch that, Shizuo´s reactions were way more entertaining.

Grinning, he waved for a taxi.

Yesterday he actually forgot to pay the blond a visit. The whole topic on demon summoning just made him forget.

But today~ today he would make sure to interrupt his monsters day~

It didn´t take him long to reach his wished destination- Simon´s sushi restaurant. He wasn´t only going to Ikebukuro for Shizuo after all.

Grinning he entered his favorite dining place.

"Iterashaiiii- oh, Izaya!" Immediately he was greeted by the smiling Russian, his funny accent still audible as usual.

"Hey Simon. The usual, is my regular table free?" the tall man nodded and led him to one of the tables in the back.

It was true that Izaya almost always took his Otooro home and ate there, but actually he preferred this small little private room in the back of Simon´s restaurant.

Neither his clients nor Shizuo suddenly visiting like he had done before, could disturb him here. And most importantly, he couldn´t accidentally drop the box of delicious sushi when he was being chased by the blond.

That has happen before once or twice.

A pity.

A second later one of Simon´s co-workers came in with a large plate and a variety of sushi.

Grinning Izaya looked at the meal in front of him.

Senaka, Noten, Hoho-Niku, Kama-Toro and of course his beloved extra fatty tuna were to be found on his plate.

One thing Izaya had to admit, Simon´s restaurant may be lead by a Russian, and not be Japanese in this term of speaking at all, but he sure as hell was selling the best sushi there was.

Most of these unusual delicacies you would only find at the most rarefied Japanese restaurants.

Delighted, he started eating his meal instead of admiring Simon´s restaurant.

Oh how he loved the taste of high quality sushi~

Smirking, he thought about how normal working people like Shizuo would never be even able to afford this kind of extravagant food.

Chewing on yet another piece of sushi he thought about how he should anger the blond today.

Yesterday he had had the plan to visit Shizuo at home to rile him up and make the blond chase him. But today he probably wouldn´t do that.

He knew from various sources, that Kasuka was filming a shoot in the city. He could bet the blond would be there. And not leave the set most probably.

As usual, he would be staying a little aside the crowd, so his younger brother wouldn´t notice him.

…

Now that he thought about it, why did he do that anyway?

As far as he knew, the brute loved his brother- so why keeping such a distance?

"Hmm…" Izaya thought about that for a while.. but didn't really come to a sense making conclusion.

Well, anyway, he would just have to look for where the young actor was to find his brute.

Finally stuffing the last bit of sushi in his mouth, he got up from his seat.

Yosh, he would do exactly that right now.

Grinning he left the payment on the table and went to the front entrance.

"Bye Simon, money is on the table as usual." He announced, waving as he left the restaurant.

The tall Russian nodded smiling, while continuing to hand out some flyers for his sushi as he did usually.

"Got it, see you soon again Izaya." He replied before walking back into his restaurant.

And with that Izaya skipped into an alley- a shortcut.

Meanwhile Simon made his way to the back of his restaurant, the money was there as usual- Izaya really spent a lot of money on his sushi, he was a good customer.

Sometimes causing a fight with Shizuo and making trouble, but a good customer.

He was just about to take the money, when suddenly something black moving on the ground caught his attention.

Surprised he stared at it.

"таракан…?" (A cockroach…?)

-Izaya´s point of view. At Kasuka´s shooting in Ikebukuro. -

Snickering Izaya approached the filming set. Just as the rumors said, Kasuka was filming here.

For a few seconds Izaya watched the actor with his expressionless face. Seriously, he always wondered how it was that Kasuka was an actor that famous, his expression almost never changed- wasn´t that boring?

At least for him it was. Humans were interesting for all the weird and funny or confusing expressions they showed when he played with their minds.

Someone like Kasuka probably wouldn´t even react in the slightest.

Izaya had to admit, he didn´t even know how the actor would react if Izaya ever tried something on him.

That´s why he refrained from doing it so far.

Sure, he was intrigued, but who knew what the younger Heiwajima would do. Seeing as he was related to a certain totally unpredictable blond that kept chasing him even though he never once caught him, he wondered what kind of weird habit the actor would develop-

"IIIIZAAAYAAAAAA!"

Ah… he saw me.

Izaya snickered as he watched Shizuo paving his way through the crowd. He had spotted the protozoan earlier. As usual, he was standing on the edge of the crowd.

He wanted to go over there and surprise him initially, but it seems the blond had preempted his intention.

"Oh what a surprise, I didn´t know you were here too Shizu-chan~" Izaya snickered, already taking a hold of the knife in his pocket.

It was safe to keep that at hand every second when it came to the blond.

"Izaya, get the fuck away from my brother and out of Ikebukuro!" Shizuo bellowed, charging the raven.

Izaya however took a few steps back and threw one of the blades he had resting in his pockets at his enemy.

Shizuo didn´t dodge it though, but let it pierce his arm instead.

Izaya grinned. He knew why the blond didn´t move.

He didn´t move on purpose- and why?

Cause there was a fangirling crowd of his brother behind him.

And Shizuo knew that.

"You damn loousee..." Anger was building up in the blond´s body, as he grabbed the nearest object within his reach- a lamp post.

Without any effort he ripped it off the ground, and walked towards the flea with it.

"I said- GET THE FUCK OUT OF IKEBUKURO!" and then it started-

CRASH

The ground where Izaya was standing seconds before.

CRASH

Another light pole.

CRASH

Various other innocent street signs-

"It´s Heiwajima and Izaya!"

"Really!"

"Run!"

CRASH CRASH CRASH

"IZAAYAAAAAAAAA!"

"Haha, what´s wrong Shizu-chan~? Can´t catch me~?"

Oh how funny Izaya found this whole situation to be- Shizuo wrecking the city, the shoot was being interrupted due to the noise they made.

Or better the noise that Shizuo made, raging as he was, eliminating everything that came into sight, like a bull having seen a red piece of cloth.

Izaya grinned, dodging yet another heavy object aimed at him as he ran for his life.

That was what he loved. The adrenaline rushing through his veins as he dodged every object aimed at him.

The thrill of being chased by something this destructible, by something that unpredictable.

He never knew what the blond would be up to next, despite having had their chase so often; the blond could always come up with new things surprising the raven.

Which made this whole scenario only more exciting.

Which was the reason he always had to pay good attention.

Which was exactly why he absolutely loved being chased by the blond.

"IZAYA!" grinning, he turned around flashing Shizuo one of his smirks as well as a few of his blades, cutting him on his arm and shoulder.

Angry the blond glowered at him, with eyes filled with nothing but the intent to kill. Izaya shuddered, oh how he loved that look directed at him.

The danger it was holding was just magnificent.

But still, he shouldn´t take it too far. With a sneaky grin he waved at the blond.

"Sorry Shizu-chan, playtime is over~" he announced, turning on his heels and ran away as fast as he could.

Shizuo stared at him perplexed holding yet another street sign in his hand to throw again.

"Wait- WHAT?! COME BACK FLEA!" he yelled after the raven, but just as he reached the spot Izaya was standing before the informant disappeared into an alley.

"Tch…" annoyed Shizuo stopped and dropped the sign. He wouldn´t chase the flea now.. after all he had to watch over his younger brother, who knew, maybe that damn louse planned for Shizuo to go after him so he could do something.

He sighed annoyed and took out one of his cigarettes.

"Damn flea… I am gonna kill him, I am so gonna kill him someday!" he growled, reaching for his lighter.

Suddenly his sight fell on the ground, noticing something black and tiny moving there.

Curious, he bent down and eyed the object.

"What´s that…?" Playfully he poked the little creature.

Quickly it stretched out its legs and crawled away from him.

Shizuo tilted his head watching it.

"…what is a cockroach doing here…?"

\- Izaya´s point of view. A few hours and deals later. The sun is setting slowly.-

"Orihara-san, I arrived."

"Really? Well done, now you just have to wait~" Izaya replied, walking down the street. He was on his way home, and just calling one of his clients on the phone.

One of the clients he didn´t particularly like.

Which was exactly why he was doing what he was doing now.

"Orihara-san, there is no one coming, I thought the exchange point would be here?" a obviously nervous sounding voice asked.

Izaya just snickered, not answering the question.

"Oi! Orihara-san?!" suddenly police sirens could be heard over the phone, making Izaya smirk.

Exactly like he planned.

"Orihara-san! There are cops here! What do I do?!" the client panicked- Izaya just laughed.

"Nothing-" he replied, "you will just stay there and let yourself get caught. See this as the end of our contract." And with that he hung up.

"Hahahahahaha!" Izaya paused walking for a moment and just laughed wholeheartedly. God, how stupid some humans were.

He could just let them dance after his tune- without any effort, really now they made it too easy.

Suddenly laughter not belonging to him reached his ears. He turned his head and saw a young couple walking hand in hand down the street.

A little child was strolling after them and the guy- obviously the father, smiling picked it off the ground, carrying it and giving his, probably wife, a kiss on the cheek.

The child was just giggling stupidly.

Stupid…

Frowning Izaya watched them.

Oh how happy they were. He bet the guy had some dark secrets his wife didn´t know about. Maybe he cheated on her? Oh that would be the most common one.

Or maybe he hit her? Hmm no marks but still.

He was sure they weren´t as happy as they seemed to be.

Suddenly the guy turned his head, staring right at Izaya.

Protectively he tugged his wife closer.

Annoying.

"What? Don´t worry, I won´t snatch away your girl." He spat, pissed.

So damn annoying.

"Did you know she cheats on you anyway? Just saying~" he added, glaring.

Oh, how he enjoyed the look the guy gave his wife who shook her head defensive.

Smirking Izaya continued his walk as he felt the air tense around the couple.

Better.

Way better.

That damn lovey dovey acting didn´t suit those three at all.

Without any further interruption, he made his way down the street and to his apartment.

It only took him a few minutes to get up. A few more to turn on his computers and only seconds to get his already cold cup of coffee from the morning.

He didn´t particularly care if the coffee was cold or not, he needed the caffeine and was just too plain lazy to go to the kitchen and make a fresh one.

Besides, it didn´t taste that bad.

Sighing, he spun on his chair, stopping as he faced the window.

The sun was almost down, only slightly the city was painted in red? Violet? He wasn´t so sure.

He stared at the city for a bit, watching the moving cars, glowing advertisements.

In his apartment it was dark.

Except for a little lamp burning on his table, he had turned all other lights off.

Namie wasn´t here anymore too. She had finished her work, and the documents he gave her were all neatly ordered on the table.

He sighed as he turned around again, looking into his dim apartment.

…

It´s so silent.

…

He stared at the ceiling- then at his chess board- well if you could call it a chess board, true, devices from chess were placed on it, but also those from shogi for example, mixing up the order.

He got up from his seat, turning off his computers and the tiny light he approached his window again.

The illuminated city could be seen well now that the reflection of the light was gone.

…

"Oi petty humans~ do you even know your god is up here?" he mumbled aloud, touching the cold glass with his palm.

…

"Of course you don´t… I am all alone in my reign~ the only god…"

…

He exhaled again, closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead on the glass.

Was that guy was still doubting his wife?

Izaya withdrew from the window and slowly made his way up the stairs.

Probably not, they looked too much like a happy family to ponder on things like these.

He yawned.

Damn he was sleepy~

He was definitely missing that night of sleep before.

Sluggish he closed the door to his bedroom and started undressing his shirt in front of his mirror.

"Eh?" suddenly he stopped, looking into the mirror.

"Weird…" he just thought he saw some weird bulge on his shoulder…?

He turned and twisted and looked at his body in the mirror, but he didn´t find anything like that. He shrugged.

"Must have been my imagination."

And with that he crawled into his bed, sighing relieved as he closed his eyes and snuggled into his fluffy cushion.

Yep, even though he was a god, sleep was something that he did appreciate sometimes.

He loved it when everything was so silent. When it was dark, nothing aggravating his senses, just peace.

Just peace…

Just…

Suddenly he squinted his eyes.

"What the heck…?" Why was the light turned on again?

Confused Izaya sat up in bed, as he looked at his door.

The light switch was right beside the door, how the heck-

"EWW!"

He flinched as suddenly something cold and kinda moving touched his hand.

Rapidly he drew it back as he saw the source.

"What the fuck?!"

Cockroaches-

An immense amount of cockroaches was IN. HIS. BED. Crawling, fluttering, and oh god the noise, that crawling, clattering noise of all their little feet trampling over each other.

And those disgusting little legs-

Immediately he shot up and tried to dash out of bed.

But he couldn´t!

Confused he looked at some kind of belt wrapped around his wrist, binding him to his headboard.

"What the- how did that happen?!" Izaya was confused- what the heck was going on?

Who bound him to the bed, who put those critters in his bed, and who the hell turned the light on in his-

"Go…" Startled Izaya snapped his head to the door.

Who... Who said that just now?!

Suddenly there were more belts- three more- they immediately shot up from each corner of the bed except the one he was already bound to, and wrapped around his other arm and legs.

Izaya didn´t even have time to scream, not even time to comprehend, just what the heck was going on here?!

He was tied up! Tied to his bed, stretched out and not able to move at all!

Not a tall!

"Let me go!"

Violently he tugged at the bindings, the cockroaches beginning to crawl on top of him.

Suddenly he realized he wasn´t wearing a shirt anymore.

Where the hell did his shirt go?!

What. Was. Going. On?!

A rather big cockroach, crawling right on top of his chest suddenly made him pause.

All the other cockroaches stopped moving.

All at once.

Confused Izaya glanced at the creatures.

He gulped.

Where they dead…?

He looked back at the one on his chest, and blew air on it, trying to puff it away again.

Maybe if he wiggled a bit it would drop do-

"OUCH!"

What the-?!

Wincing Izaya glared at the creature- did that little fucker just really bite him?!

He flinched-

Could they all bite?!

He wiggled around again, trying to shake the bug off, but no chance; it was staying there and not moving an inch.

Izaya was bleeding- right at the spot the cockroach had bitten him.

Damn fucker, why did he-

Suddenly he froze. The cockroach moved.

Suddenly Izaya´s blood ran cold.

The cockroach- started crawling inside the wound.

"AAAH!" he screamed, yelled, trashed around, THAT FUCKING THING DIDN`T STOP!

"GET OFF, GET OFF, GET-" his voice failed him as his breathing ragged.

TOO LATE!

IT WAS UNDER HIS SKIN-!

"GET OUT!"

How the hell- what? NO! OUT OUT OUT!

A bulge- forming and signing just where the bug was crawling under his skin…!

Izaya tugged at the bindings, tried to get away, tried t get loose tried to not to think of the fact that there was a fucking cockroach inside of him! But it was no use, no matter what he did, he screamed he yelled, he swear he struggled, but still to no avail he just couldn´t-

"FUCK!"

Suddenly he gasped. Frustrated tears were already dripping down his face.

A dream-

A dream!

This had to be a dream!

A nightmare!

Yes it was just a-

Suddenly he snapped his head towards the other cockroaches.

They moved-!

They crawled towards him-!

"STOP!" he unfroze.

They bit him-!

"STOP!"

They…. crawled inside-!

"GET OUT!"

Inside! INSIDE!

"NO NO NO NO!"

A dream a dream, it was a dream-!

Suddenly he saw another bulge on his chest, slowly coming up.

"Stop it..! Please, stay away!" he begged, tears dripping as the critter moved further under his skin, towards his neck, towards his face, towards his cheek- towards hi-

He gasped-

Towards his eye!

TOWARDS HIS EYE!

"NO, NO!" It was right in front of him only cm apart...!

It was-

"NO!"

Screaming Izaya shot up.

Blood was rushing through his veins, his breathing ragged.

In a heartbeat he stormed out of bed and slammed open the door.

It wasn´t until he missed the first step of his staircase and fell down- pain shooting through his leg that he finally got to his senses.

Shaking he got up from the floor wincing at the pain in his leg, and turned on the light.

Immediately he scanned his body.

There was his shirt.

He shoved it up- no bites.

Relieved, he leaned against a wall, slowly sliding down.

Fuuuck…

This was..

Damn..

Just a nightmare..

"Haha.. " he started giggling.

"Hahaha... god... I am so stupid!"

He tried to calm himself, his breath still came in short gasps, and he couldn´t lie, he was still feeling shaken.

Damn.. why the hell did he even dream shit like that?

He looked at the clock. Surprised he saw the time.

"Seriously?! I slept just 10 minutes?!" He face palmed. God… how the heck could one dream so much shit in just ten minutes?

He sighed as he inspected his leg- a bright blue bruise was forming on it.

Damn…

Well, at least it was not broken... that fall down the stairs could have ended worse.

Suddenly he stopped.

Scratch scratch scratch

…?

…

What was that?

Scratch scratch scratch

He looked towards his bedroom door.

It sounded almost as if something... was scratching on it…?

What…

What was that…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> END XD Sooo~ that´s it for this time~  
> I hope you liked it~ -^.^-


	4. Mysterious pain

\- 10 am. Izaya´s apartment. Izaya´s point of view.-

Not one minute.

No, scratch that, not even a second of sleep had he gotten the past night.

He hadn´t slept at all.

How could he?!

Aside from the fact, that maybe there was someone in his apartment, even if he hated to admit it, he was kind of reluctant to go back to the bed where he had just dreamed to be attacked by those critters.

But that wasn´t everything.

It just didn´t stop!

What?

The scratching!

He couldn´t shake off the feeling that someone actually was in his apartment! He swore he felt it! There was something! He wasn´t stupid!

That wasn´t some animal or something like that!

And he heard it! He heard it scratch!

Every fucking time he turned around, every time he wanted to go back to bed, there was this scratching!

And he didn´t know where the hell it was coming from, or how the person, whoever it was managed to do this stuff that fast.

He swore he didn´t find anyone in his apartment, and there weren´t that many hiding places to begin with.

He did want to sleep, he was tired, but how could he?

He couldn´t.

Not with this feeling of imminent danger in his gut.

Not even when the scratching stopped.

It did stop.

But only in the morning.

Around 6am or something.

Now it was 10 am.

The sun was already illuminating his apartment and just for once Izaya regretted the fact he had an apartment owning a window that big.

Or better that it was one without blinds.

Because the rays were hurting his eyes as fuck.

He hadn't slept for two nights now. His eyes almost felt like they wanted to close on their own.

For the felt hundredth time now he went through all the hiding places he knew of.

Where..?

Just as before, there was exactly nothing.

Zero.

Whoever it was that scratched at his bedroom door and kept him awake all night, he seemed to be gone.

Izaya didn´t know what to think of that.

Should he be happy the guy and his scratches were gone for now, or should he seriously consider moving since he seemed to have managed to break into his apartment and leave it without him noticing at all?

Yawning he got up and made his way to the kitchen.

He definitely needed a cup of coffee now or he would nod off standing.

Lazy he watched the brown liquid flow into his favorite cup.

… Who was it?

He had kept wondering about that for a while now. It was clear as a day that someone managed to get into his apartment, but the big question was why? And who was the culprit?

What would that person gain?

If it was a hired assassin or something of the sort, well then he sure as hell wouldn´t make himself noticeable by scratching on his door.

But for just a simple prank it was too well done. His apartment was good secured to begin with, or well at least he thought it was, nobody could get in here that easily.

So who?

One of his clients?

No. He only dealt with either serious business man that wouldn´t even bother with such stupid actions and go to straight kill him, and the minor underlings he had in his palm where simply not capable of doing this without getting caught.

Deep in thoughts he nipped at his coffee.

… Really strange.

A sudden loud knock coming from the front door startled him and he spilled a bit of his coffee on his shirt.

"Tch." Annoyed, he made his way towards the entrance.

"Ahaa... I spilled my coffee because of you, Namie-chan." He complained as he opened the door. Namie was the one who stood in front of it.

She frowned at the raven.

"Well, that´s not my fault; you are the one who doesn´t want to give me a key to your apartment."

Izaya laughed.

"My apologies, but I won´t give you one, I would prefer to not get murdered in my sleep after all."

Namie just ignored him and went to Izaya´s desk.

"So, what do I have to do today?" Izaya rolled his eyes. The same fucking question every day.

"Second drawer to the left." He simply said, for once not in the mood to tease her.

Namie raised an eyebrow at the straight forward answer, but got her stuff immediately. She wouldn´t dare remind Izaya to act like the asshole he was.

Meanwhile Izaya was back at his computer. A bit more cautious this time he bent down and turned the device on.

He didn´t know what the hell he cut himself with yesterday, but he would have to pay a bit attention to where his hand was wandering it seemed.

He rubbed his temples sighing, trying to hold back a yawn.

The first thing he would check would be the records of his apartment door. He had a camera installed in front of it, just so he knew who came by to pay him a visit, be it simply Shizu-chan or some armed guys from the mafia, he has had them all.

He didn´t have material on the inside of his apartment though. It was too dangerous; he did sometimes bring clients here and sell them some pretty tasty information, if someone were to hack those devices or give them to the police by chance he would find himself jobless pretty fast.

No can do~

But that didn´t matter. After all there must be a record of the guy entering his apartment, no?

He grinned as he started watching the videos in fast forward.

Oh that fucker would get it once he knew who it was.

\- 7 hours later-

Cautious Namie eyed her boss.

She just finished the job Izaya had given her to do today… but well.

She glanced at the informant. To say he looked absolutely furious would be an underestimation.

She had never seen him that way. She didn´t know what he had been staring at for 7 hours straight, but it sure as hell seemed to piss him off.

Quiet she got up and took the files.

Nothing!

NOTHING!

There was nothing on those tapes!

God Izaya couldn´t even describe how mad he was!

How? Just how did that guy manage to enter his apartment, drive him insane the whole night, and then just disappear?!

It didn´t make sense!

Annoyed he stood up from his seat, startling the woman.

"What?" he asked annoyed. Namie frowned and dropped the documents on his desk.

"Finished. Can I go now?" she asked. Voice as icy as usual.

"Sure." Izaya shrugged. Today he didn´t particularly care what she would do.

Her work was done and he had to do something else now anyway.

He followed Namie to the door, grabbing his coat in the process.

"Ara, how gentleman like of you, showing me to the door? How sweet." She spat earning a glare.

"Oh how funny you are today." He hissed, definitely not amused and brushed past the woman.

"Truth to be told I have a meeting now though. I expect to see you tomorrow at 6am." He said, moving to the elevator.

He wouldn't let himself be teased by this woman after all.

"Huh?!" Namie stared at him disbelieving. "6am? Are you fucking serious?!"

"Bye bye Namie-chan~" he grinned and waved as the elevator´s doors closed.

"That damn-!" angry she stared after him.

Izaya meanwhile sighed heavily and leaned exhausted against the elevator´s wall.

God, he was so fucking tired.

Sighing he got to his feet again as the doors opened.

He had to get a hold of himself. He had a meeting with one of his most promising clients today. He couldn´t mess this up just because of a little sleep deprivation.

Weary he stepped outside. It was already late afternoon if not to say evening. The meeting should take place in one of the cafés down the street.

He glanced at his clock.

He was 15 minutes early, but oh well, he was quite sure, judging from the guy's appearance that he would be here earlier as well anyway.

So he strolled down the street.

The sun was already low on the horizon, making his shadow seem much taller than he himself was.

Grinning he skipped on the road, watching his shadow do the same.

Some people looked at him weird, oh well as if he would care. They could think what they want.

If they were so silly to simply shrug him off as some childish adult they were on the wrong track anyway.

Sighing he stopped when the shadow disappeared into the much bigger one of a high-rise on the other side of the street.

Shrugging he turned into an alley, knowing that on the other end there would be the café he was supposed to meet at.

He let his hand slip into his pocket tightening his hand around the USB he had been carrying around.

Oh yes, he would sell this little thing here now, and then-

"Ah…."

Suddenly he flinched and stopped in his movement.

A hand found its way to his chest and he bent forward slightly using the other to support himself on the wall of a building.

What the-

Pain.

Sudden pain struck him.

His chest was suddenly hurting incredibly and he found it hard to breathe.

It was like stabs, like stings, he couldn't even pinpoint where it came from.

Panting he tightened the grip on his shirt even though it didn´t help at all.

His breathing grew heavier by the second.

What was going on all of a sudden?!

He frowned and kept the hold on his chest, not that it would have helped in any way but it just hurt, and tried moving forward.

Why did it hurt all of a sudden?

He groaned, feeling his chest hurt more.

The fuck.

He couldn´t even think of why it suddenly started to hurt.

Only slowly he managed to move forward.

He could see people go by the other side of the alley, but he sure as hell would not call out to them or something. He would get out of there and get to Shinra himself.

…

After he met his client.

He gripped his shirt tightly once more, feeling another stab of pain.

Whatever this was, he could bear it. At least for another 15 minutes.

Or so he tried to convince himself as he got out of the dark alley.

He tried maintaining his face.

He couldn´t show weakness after all.

His sight trailed to the café. It had a huge window and to his relief he could already spot his client form here.

He was sitting on a table, waiting already, just as he had predicted him to do.

He took a deep breath, wincing at the sharp pain he felt doing it and crossed the street.

He absolutely had to look like nothing was wrong.

Putting on his trademark smirk he retrieved the hand from his chest and entered the café. His client spotted him immediately.

"Orihara-san. You are quite early." He commented, bowing in front of him.

"So are you." Izaya replied and bowed as well. "I figured you would be the type to arrive earlier. Would it be a problem to start discussing things already?" he asked taking a seat at the table his client was sitting at.

"Not at all. Go ahead, whereas I do have to ask, what else there is left to discuss though. I thought we cleared everything up already." Izaya grinned, trying to hide his pained face.

"Oh of course, there is nothing left to discuss about the topic we agreed I would get information on. However, there might be things left to discuss regarding the payment." He relaxed a bit as the pain subsided and leant back on his seat.

"I think, other than me, you were completely aware of the fact how hard it would be to gather this type of information, aren´t I right?" he asked, catching a slight grin appearing on his clients face.

"Indeed. I was. So what are you suggesting?" he asked, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket.

"Oh you don´t mind I hope?" he paused looking at the raven who nodded.

"Of course no-" he paused, the hand having rested on his knee tightened his grip as another wave of pain crashed into him. This time it wasn´t his chest though, but his head instead.

Before he knew it an intense headache assaulted him. He gasped and hid his pause behind a cough.

"Of course not, go ahead." He managed to say smoothly and smiled.

The client nodded and lit the cigarette.

What the hell?

Izaya had no clue what was going on with him. Before he thought maybe the sudden sharp pain in his chest came from an Arrhythmia since he has already had these from time to time but now this headache?

His head was throbbing for god´s sake.

And it was getting worse by the second. What on earth was going on?

Not only that.

He rubbed at his eyes, trying to change it, but no it didn´t help at all.

All of a sudden his vision had gotten fuzzy.

"Well as I said Orihara-san, what kind of payment would be appropriate for this kind of information?" he asked once more, snapping Izaya out of it.

"Ah, well I was thinking about something counting six zeros at least." He managed to wiggle out. Trying hard not to lose focus of the conversation.

Right. Concentrate.

He could go to Shinra right after this was over.

His client was a smart guy and he suggested a reasonable amount of money, this would be over quickly, he reminded himself, trying to put up with the weird pain.

And gladly it seemed he was right.

"Oh I agree with you on that. To be honest I feared you would either back off if I told you the difficulty of getting the information, or ask for an unreasonable price. But it seems you aren´t called the best informant of Ikebukuro for nothing. Doing business like this is wise." He commented, snapping his fingers.

"Why thank you, you are flattering me." Izaya joked, barely being able to even make out the guy in front of him.

One guy came from the back of the café carrying a suitcase and opened it to show Izaya the content.

"3 000 000 yen, how does that sound?"

Sound? Well if he knew what it sounded like. By now he started hearing a weird rushing in his ears and he was certain he really had to visit the doctor now.

This was by far too weird, even for him and he had experienced a lot.

So he just nodded, barely having heard the sum he mentioned.

Well he could care less about the money now.

Quickly he stood up, trying to stay steady as he noticed the world was starting to sway slightly.

"It´s good doing business with you too." He said and held out the USB. The guy took it and let it disappear in his coats pocket.

"I can only say that back to you." Izaya smiled; relieved he could finally go now.

"Well then, I hope to see you at my office again soon." He said, already knowing that they would bring the suitcase over for him.

No way he would suggest to just give it to him right here.

That would be unprofessional.

He turned around and stepped out of the café.

A sigh escaped his lips as soon as he was out. A hand found its way to his head while the other was grasping at his chest once more.

God. Why was everything hurting so much?

Wobbly he crossed the street once more.

There was no way he would go to Shinra in this state. His apartment was nearer.

He would go there and call that damn doctor over.

"Tch, damn." He swore as he went through the alley from before again. The ground just kept shaking and it didn´t take to be a genius to know that he probably was swaying like a drunk.

Did Namie put something in his coffee when he didn´t look?

No, she couldn´t have done that today.

God damnit he felt like his head was going to explode any minute.

The rustling or rushing or however one wanted to call it got louder and louder by the second, not exactly doing wonders to his migraine.

"Shit…"

I have to get Shinra.

There was no way he would manage to get to his apartment, before he collapsed.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket a flipped it open.

He sure hoped that doctor knew what-

"Ah…" suddenly the phone slipped out of his hand-

His eyes went wide, and his mouth opened to a silent gasp as he fell down on his knees and doubled over.

Pain pain pain

It hurt!

God it-

"AH!" he couldn´t prevent a pained scream to tear from his lips as he rolled up on the dirty ground.

He started panting, not getting enough air, and squeezed his eyes shut as the headache became unbearable-

Intense pain shot through his system and didn´t even know from where it came.

It wasn´t only his head whose pain had suddenly increased.

Everything suddenly hurt.

It hurt.

He didn´t know what exactly hurt.

It just hurt.

So much.

He bit on his wrist to prevent himself from screaming.

Only barely he could make out the fallen phone and stretched his hand out towards it.

"Shit…" he dragged himself up and took his phone with shaky hands.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Shinra.

He had to call Shinra.

Now.

He called the doctor, pain not subsiding one bit as he squirmed.

But no response.

He called again, begging for the damn quack to pick up.

But no. He didn´t.

"Fuck!" he snapped the phone shut and tried heaving himself up once more.

His vision was blurry as fuck and he got nauseous as the world started to sway even more.

He gulped, and tried to ease his pain by leaning onto the cool wall.

He had to get at least home somehow.

Who knew what would happen to him if he passed out here?

He didn´t even want to imagine.

Slowly, so slow he guessed he looked like he was moving in slow motion to others he stepped towards the other end of the alley, using the wall for support.

If it weren´t for that wall he could probably not even make out where he was going.

Only with a lot of effort he managed to get himself out of there and onto the pavement.

He inhaled some more times, head still throbbing and hurting as fuck and tried to stand without support.

Only slowly he let go of the cool object and started walking towards his apartment.

It wasn´t that long a distance.

Just a few hundred meters. Then the elevator and then finally his apartment.

He could rest there. Get something cool for his head.

Painkillers.

Exhausted he tried thinking of the good things he could do to ease the pain once he was there to keep himself moving.

Right. Painkillers.

They had to work for sure.

"Iiiizaaayaaa-kuunn."

Izaya froze, and he swore for a second he regretted the day he had started teasing Shizuo.

He turned around, as fast as it was possible without toppling over.

"What… are you doing here Shizu-chan?"

Shit... His voice was wavering, and he was sure Shizuo noticed the little pause he needed to gasp for air.

To his surprise he didn´t seem to have noticed though.

"Payback for yesterday damn flea." Shizuo grinned as he approached the raven. Not that Izaya would have seen it.

His sight was still as bad as before.

Wobbly he stood there.

Fuck.

This was definitely the worst timing for him to meet Shizuo.

He wasn´t even sure he was able to stand for much longer, how was he supposed to get away from him?

Not even to speak about running.

Shizuo meanwhile approached the flea, cracking his knuckles.

Huh? No witty remark today? That was surprising for the flea.

He stepped closer and noticed he wasn´t even holding his knife.

"Oi Izaya, have you given up already?" he joked. Of course not.

As if that would ever happen.

But the raven didn´t move.

Shizuo frowned and looked around.

He was almost expecting to find a truck driving towards him or something, because if the flea acted weird he always had something planned.

But the truck didn´t come.

And the flea didn´t move.

"Oi Izaya!" Shizuo called again. This time the raven reacted.

"Heh, Shizu-chan, you followed me… all the way to Shinjuku? How… nice of you." Shizuo frowned irritated.

What were those pauses for?

Was he mocking him?

He approached the raven.

"Izayaa…" he growled. But then he stopped surprised.

Only now, that he looked at the flea more closely, he noticed how pale the flea was.

…

He paused a minute.

The raven was still not moving.

But Shizuo noticed he was panting instead.

"…Oi Izaya are you sick?" he tried confirming his suspicion.

Izaya flinched.

Oh great. Now he noticed.

Tch, well what did he expect? That the blond would just leave if he didn´t react?

Of course not.

He had two options, getting discovered and beaten up easily, or trying to run away.

Heh, funny thing was he couldn´t even find himself moving.

Not to mention running.

Suddenly he noticed the blond was approaching him and took a slow step back, almost losing his balance.

"You really are sick." Izaya winced.

Great. Now he would get punched for sure.

He could already imagine the grin on Shizuo´s fa-

"Go home flea."

…

What?

He rubbed at his eyes, and stared in front of him.

Wait, he was talking to Shizuo wasn´t he?

Did he just say he should go home?

The blond looked at the raven. It was obvious he had expected something like a punch or something other painful.

Tch, the hell, he wouldn´t beat up a guy that could barely move.

He wasn´t that kind of guy.

He didn´t feel like chasing him.

The flea really looked sick.

He took out a cigarette and lit it.

"I said you should go home flea. You trying to test my patience? If I were you I wouldn´t do that." He half heartedly threatened.

He just wanted the flea to go already.

He could always come and beat him up for yesterday another day.

To his surprise Izaya just nodded.

No witty remark, no nothing, just a small nod, before he slowly turned around.

He looked after the raven.

Damn he must be really sick.

There was no way Izaya would act like this if he were not.

He leaned against the wall of a building and watched the raven.

He didn´t know if Izaya knew he was watching him, but he didn´t think so.

He finished smoking the cigarette by the time Izaya disappeared into his apartment complex.

He sighed, dropping the cigarette into a dustbin.

"Damn flea." He mumbled as he walked away.

…tomorrow he would beat him up if he was wandering around outside again for sure.

-Izaya´s point of view. -

"No Shinra, now." He protested weakly.

It was a wonder he had managed to actually drag himself to his apartment. But strangely enough the pain had started to subside a bit. Even before he took every possible painkiller he could find.

Without overdosing of course.

He did plan on staying in this world a bit longer after all.

But now the doctor just wouldn´t stop bitching about how he had an important surgery right now.

Izaya couldn´t care less.

He hurt, so that fucking doctor had to move his ass over here.

Preferable five minutes ago.

"So when will you come?"

"Ahhhaaa.. Izaya this is pretty bad looking here, I promise I will come by tomorrow okay until then just take it eas- aaahhhh! Celty dear please hold him down!" Suddenly there was noise in the background and fast peeping to be heard.

Before he knew it the raven was cut off.

Annoyed he stared at the phone.

Tomorrow?!

Did he just say tomorrow?!

Tch.

He threw the phone onto the couch and got back to his bedroom annoyed.

Taking it easy he says.

He was taking it easy and still hurt like a bitch from one second to the other.

What the fuck triggered it?

He lay down on his bed again.

He cancelled his meetings for tomorrow as well as the day after tomorrow.

He didn´t want to experience something like he did today again.

Aside from that he was tired anyway.

Taking one or two days off from being an informant wouldn't hurt his business now, would it?

He sighed contented.

The pain had finally subsided a bit.

Maybe he could try to sleep?

He closed his eyes.

Yup, sleep. How sweet that word sounded.

Suddenly he frowned.

There was that rustling again in his ears. That weird sound that kept getting louder.

He tried covering his ears. But of course it was no use.

His headache started acting up again.

He frowned and got out of his bed.

He already took some painkillers, but fuck it, he had two more he could take.

Holding his head he went to the bathroom, taking those two pills he had and swallowed them quickly with a bit of water.

He stayed there, steadying himself by tightening his grip on the sink as the world started to sway again.

"The fuck?" he mumbled, gripping his head once more as his headache acted up.

He let go off the sink and turned around to get back to the bed.

Maybe if he laid down it would help or-

He gasped, losing his balance for a second and only barely managed to not fall straight onto his face.

The pain got heavier and heavier by the second, making him whimper in pain.

God what was wrong with him?

What was-

Fuck, he was so nauseous.

He slapped a hand over his mouth and tried to inhale through his nose, but no use, it didn´t stop it didn´t-

Quickly he rushed through the toilet, before it was too late, immediately emptying his stomach.

But the pain still didn´t subside, the nauseating feeling didn´t go away.

He whimpered, throwing up once more, coughing afterwards.

He didn´t see clearly, he was so dizzy.

God was he feeling dizzy, he wanted it to stop.

The room was swaying so much.

Fuck, he was so close to passing out.

He already saw black before his eyes.

*scratch scratch scratch*

He froze, having heard the sound.

Blinding anger took over his mind.

For that guy was here again!

"Who is there?!" he nearly screamed only to leave himself to wince at his own loud words.

*scratch scratch scratch*

"Who?!" he tried again.

*scratch scratch scratch*

.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe~ another cliffhanger xD I bet you hate me now xD


	5. Demon appearance

-Izaya´s apartment. Izaya´s point of view.-

"WHO THE HEL- ah-!" he gasped, his chest had started hurting once more again.

All of a sudden he found it difficult to breathe again, making a cold shudder run down his spine as he slightly started to panic.

What was this?!

Why was he in so much pain?!

NO injury nor sickness he knew of should make him feel so much pain without a reason!

*scratch scratch scratch*

His head snapped back to the door. And again- again there was that damn noise!

Where was it coming from?! Who was there?!

He pushed himself up from the floor, wearily wobbling back to his bedroom.

The scratching came from his door yet again.

But there was no-one!

The second he threw a glance at the door the noise stopped!

Just damn fucking stopped.

He panted as he let himself slid down the wall.

Fuck- he was too exhausted. Slowly he closed his eyes, resting the back of his hand on them.

Comforting darkness surrounded him.

Fuck... he was so tired.

*scratch scratch scratch*

His eyes snapped open and he glanced back at the door.

But nothing. Nothing yet again.

Frustration welled up in him. He couldn´t sleep!

Not as long as he knew that someone else was in here!

What the hell was going on here?!

-Kuntinalak and Akem Manah´s point of view-

"Stop interfering already." A high voice whispered angrily.

Izaya was still sitting on the floor, back leaning on the wall as he glanced at the door.

A little frown decorated his face, the demon noticed amused.

"Oi, I didn´t say you could kill him yet. I didn´t even give you permission to kill him at all." Another deep voice spoke, throwing a presumptuous glance at the white woman beside him.

Her black hair was hanging down and those empty sockets stared back at him in utmost displease. A smirk crawled over her expression and she rolled out that disgustingly long tongue of hers.

"As if you could stop me. My servants are already doing their job anyway." The demon turned its head, looking at the pained figured curled up on the floor.

"Yeah, and he is dying because of that. How long have they been working on his body? Two days?" Too long already. He didn't know how far they got, but considering the raven had held his head a couple times it seemed to be bad.

"Don´t tell me there is one in his-"

"Yeah there is, so what?", the woman interrupted him hissing. "You think I care if that piece of shit dies? Don´t tell me you do."

"Maybe." A rather shocked expression as far as you can make one without eyes was shown on the woman´s face. She gritted her teeth.

"I can´t believe you! You heard what he said about us, humans like that need to be punished! Especially men like he is!"- an evil smirk crossed over her face as she let one cockroach crawl up her arm.

Almost lovingly she stared at it as it made its way into one of her sockets. "In the most cruel way possible~"

The demon took in the sight. His expression, not wavering one bit. He just kept looking at both, her and the raven on the ground. Izaya Orihara was his name right?

Looking over the crowd, huh?

Fair name.

It suited him.

"I´m still not giving permission." He uttered, his skeleton teeth clappering soundly. He couldn´t say he took a liking to the guy yet, but he sure seemed interesting.

He seemed like someone he could play with.

"It´s too late anyway, so just stop that damn scratching of yours already- just let him sleep, he is going to pass out soon anyway." Tch, of course she wanted that. Fucking vengeance moved woman.

Could she never get enough?

"So you get to finally kill him off? No way." He stepped forward once more. Izaya looked like he was about to nod off again. He brushed past the shivering form and let his skeleton hand trail along the frame of his door once more.

Immediately the raven´s eyes snapped back open and he looked at the door. But of course, he could not see the demon. They were invisible to his eyes.

The woman snorted.

"Okay. I don´t need you anyway. You know I can materialize before you, ne~? One more day- and then it´s over. I am already gaining strength, it´s not long until I can do my part~" he glared at her, steam coming out of his mouth.

Not if I can prevent it.

That guy- is mine.

-Namie´s point of view. 6am. In front of Izaya´s apartment.-

"I-za-ya!" irritated she knocked at the door.

Well knocked isn´t quite correct. By now she was literally using her fist to fulfill the task.

What the hell?! That bastard, he had asked her to come over that fucking early, even though he knew she only had time in the morning to phone Seiji, and now he didn´t open the damn door?!

"Izaya! If you don´t open this door in the next 10 seconds I will take today as my day off. Payed of course." She declared.

"10" she started counting. Well, actually she didn't even care if he paid her today or not.

"9" For once she just was so annoyed she didn´t give a fuck about her pay.

"8-" suddenly she paused. She had heard some kind of noise behind the door.

She was just about to continue counting, when all of a sudden the door came flying open.

Surprised, she took a step back.

An annoyed smile found its way onto her lips. "Oh, so you finally decided to show yourself Iza-"

Izaya?

She stopped and looked at the man in front of him. He was leaning onto the door frame, one hand resting on his temples while the other kept a grip on the door´s frame.

It was obvious he had troubles keeping his balance.

He looked horrible. Totally exhausted and… sick? He was too pale for her liking.

"… you look like shit…"Namie commented, immediately earning a glare.

"Shut the fuck up." The raven spat, prying himself of the frame and wobbled back to the couch.

The whole night.

The whole damn night he had kept hurting!

He kept getting nauseous, throwing up, feeling dizzy, having trouble breathing and god, not to forget he kept having this searing headache!

Sighing, he slumped down on the piece of furniture.

And the whole night he had heard that scratching.

It just wouldn´t stop.

No matter what he did, it kept tormenting him nonstop.

He bet someone was doing this on purpose.

He didn´t know how yet, but someone must have managed to poison him with some sort of drug. Possibly one that heightened the senses or something and then given him some sort of virus.

He didn´t know when. He didn´t know what. He didn´t know who. He didn´t know how.

But it was the only rational explanation he could come up with.

Curious Namie eyed the informant.

"…so? What do I have to do today?" she asked tentatively taking her distance from the raven. She didn´t need to catch whatever germs he was carrying after all.

"Call Shinra." The raven mumbled, frowning. Miraculously, everything, the pain, the scratching, had stopped a few minutes before Namie showed up.

He didn´t know why, he was just glad it did.

"Eh?" Surprised, she looked at her boss. "So you are sick." She concluded, pulling out a tissue to pick up the phone on Izaya´s desk.

Precaution.

Izaya glared as well as he could.

"Of course not, I just thought it would be nice to let you two chat- of course I am sick." He groaned. God that woman drove him insane.

"No need to get bitchy." She announced, already having dialed the number.

It didn´t take long for the doc to pick up it seemed. "Ah, good morning. Namie speaking. Izaya asked me to call you-"

The raven just sighed and let himself tilt over onto the couch basically ignoring the conversation.

He felt like shit.

Why, really, just why did he hurt so much?

And why had it stopped now? He really couldn´t make sense of it. That the doctor didn´t pick up all night didn´t help in his situation either.

If he hadn´t been in that much pain, he swore he would have just gone over there.

But the ability to move from the spot without getting so dizzy he fell down again, was also something ever so kindly taken away from his body the past night.

"Oi Namie, tell that ass to get over here already." He ordered the woman who just scowled at him, a frown decorating his own face as he realized he had spoken too loud for his headache.

That was about the only thing still left from the past hours. But even that pain was slowly subsiding.

The secretary shot him a glare.

"Oi, ass he says you have to come over yourself." Namie grinned, hanging up the call.

Disbelieving Izaya stared at the woman.

"Come again?" the secretary huffed.

"Seriously. The guy said he can´t come over right now. Also, he heard you over the phone. He said, let me recite: as long as that sociopath can talk like that he can come over himself as well." She grinned. "So get over there, sociopath~"

Said raven glowered at the woman, but rose from his seat slowly. He had neither the strength nor the will to take out a battle of wits with her right now.

"Fuck you Namie." Was about the last thing he spat as he wobbled to the front door.

The woman watched him, and frowned. "Oi, wait, before you go, what is my job here today?" The raven glanced at her glaring.

"Do I look like I will work today? Go home and leave me alone already." He spat.

Of course he wouldn´t pay her, but hey did he really need to say that now? Not really.

The woman grinned of course and got her stuff.

"Just what I expected to hear." She announced and stalked out of the room. Every click of her fucking high heels aggravating Izaya more.

"Don´t even bother to come back anymore." He growled under his breath, too quiet for the secretary to hear. The headache was slowly subsiding, but as it seemed it did not plan on going away completely.

He groaned as he made his way out of the apartment.

Well, at least today he managed to get down onto the street without either taking ages, or feeling as weak as yesterday.

Which led him to the blond- he didn´t dream that he met him yesterday and he just let him go, right?

He shook his head as he quickly got into a taxi he waved over.

Really now, he would have never expected that.

Maybe a fist to the face, yes, or a kick or at least something like an insult, or maybe that he made fun of him, but no.

He really just let him go.

Izaya knew Shizuo was not a monster, he wouldn´t fight or attack people that could barely stand, but that even he was included in that rule, well that was something new to the raven.

He thought he was definitely in the I am going to kill you no matter which state you are in- group.

Tired he looked at the lights, flashing past the driving car.

…

Maybe he could use that in the future?

Would be an option. Underhanded, but hey, who cared? The blond didn´t play following his rules anyway, so why should he stick to them?

His thoughts were cut off when the car halted. They were already at Shinra´s-

Exhausted, he peeled himself out of the car and paid the taxi driver before he drove off. God, he felt extremely dizzy.

He swore he would kill that doctor once he checked him u-

"Izaya?"

The raven froze as he heard his name being spoken. And of course, it was not Shinra, not Simon, not anyone of his interesting humans, no- it was no-one other than Shizu-chan.

The blond just came out of the building, wearing a surprised expression as his sight fell onto the flea.

He had a bandaid on his right hand. Izaya didn´t even need a second to figure out why he was here. Even with this raging headache and dizziness that got him all confused.

"Got into a fight again Shizu-chan~?" he asked casually, a grin spreading over his lips, that looked more weary than smirky.

The blond eyed the obviously still sick raven.

"Still sick, flea?" he fired an equally obvious question back, earning a half assed glare. Of course he received no real answer from the said informant.

"Shizu-chan, you really need to control your strength." Izaya started shaking his head as if the blond had just answered his question with a yes.

Shizuo just kept silent though. Normally the sight of the flea alone would already drive him mad, or that fucking nickname alone, but now that he looked at him…

He looked really pale, there were bags under his eyes, and his posture alone gave away, that he wasn´t all that secure on his own two feet as he wanted to look like.

It was clear as day, he was even sicker than yesterday.

In short-

"You look like shit." The blond commented. An instant glare was shot at him for that statement.

"Oh wow, well done realizing. Got a second braincell recently?" The raven rolled his eyes annoyed. Really now, first Namie and now Shizuo?

God and that fucking headache… It took him all he had to not just grab his head and groan in pain, no way. He wouldn´t do that in front of Shizuo.

A vein popped on the blond´s forehead. That raven really managed to even get him angry when the guy was sick- maybe he should think twice about beating him up after all-

He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it without saying a word.

He just came to Shinra to get his hand fixed- he happened to get a scissor stuck in it by accident.

Well, an accident called one of the guys he collected debts from.

"Hurry up and get your ass inside already." He growled. The raven threw him a smirk.

"But of course, I would have done so already if a certain protozoan weren´t blocking my way~" he teased, his eyes fluttering a little as he tried to focus his sight once more.

He really was getting more and more dizzy by the second.

"Tch-" the blond stepped aside. "Go ahead."

Izaya didn´t reply with a snappy comeback this time. He felt too weak to trouble his brain with unnecessary work.

Just go up, visit that doctor, find out what he had and get some pills against it. That was the goal-

Well, it was.

However, it didn´t seem as if he was about to carry out that plan soon.

Before he could even take a single step forward, from one second to the other, he suddenly saw black before his eyes.

He completely lost his sense of direction as his surroundings stared to twist and bend.

It felt like slow motion when suddenly the floor gave away under his feet and he saw the ground rush towards him.

Thump

"Urgh…" he groaned, having had a cold, wet floor crash into him and slightly curled up.

Fuck- why was he feeling so utterly weak now?

The raven didn´t get it, and didn´t even try to think about it too much. The headache that assaulted him was still torturing him.

The blond, however, just- gaped. The cigarette he had smoked before, had dropped from his mouth without effort.

He couldn´t believe his eyes, Orihara Izaya, just collapsed in front of him-

He could make out a frown, placed neatly in between his eyebrows. The raven really seemed like he was in distress.

A moment of hesitation, or rather astonishment followed, but before he could even think about what he was doing, he had taken a step towards the curled up informant anyway.

"Oi Iza-?" A knife greeted him, instantly flung at the debt collector as he tried to approach the raven. Only barely he managed to avoid it.

A few droplets of blood dripped from his cheek, coming from the tiny cut it had produced.

Izaya gritted his teeth, and glared at the blond from below.

"Don´t- …. Even try… to get close." He panted, glaring, but within mere seconds a hand found its way on his forehead and the glare dissipated into a pained frown once more.

Fuck, the headache returned just as raging as it had been at night.

The blond frowned.

The flea was sweating, and from the way his eyes looked so hazy, he almost bet he had a fever too.

But the knife was still pointed at him, and he would certainly not make the same mistake twice and approach his nemesis again.

Well it´s not like Izaya would have been able to do so anyway.

Slowly the informant tried to get up, heaving himself off the ground. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. He hated the fact that he had to act like this in front of that protozoan.

Shizuo watched the raven meanwhile, not saying a single word.

Even if he had wanted to, he wouldn´t have known what to say anyway- words of sympathy? Spat some insults?

He had neither the will, nor the patience to ask the raven anything, when all he would get would most probably be a glare and some snarky reply.

But he didn´t leave either. He didn´t help, didn´t interrupt, but also didn´t leave.

Sure, the way the raven took so endlessly long to get up, and the way he spared him an annoyed glare, did irritate the blond, but still he didn´t move.

He lit himself another cigarette instead, replacing the one that had fallen out of his mouth.

Angry the informant stared at him, as he finally managed to get up on his feet. He bet the brute enjoyed seeing him like this and that´s why he kept standing there and examining him like some rare kind of animal.

An annoyed hiss escaped his lips as he made his way past the blond, purposely bumping into Shizuo´s shoulder of course.

A vein popped on said man´s forehead, but he decided to stay still nonetheless.

Killing the flea now wouldn´t be a fair fight, and certainly not satisfying either.

He sighed and blew some smoke into the air as the raven made his way up.

He glanced over his shoulder up the stairs.

... what the hell was the flea even sick from?

The flu? A cold? He couldn´t help but wonder what kind of illnesses the pest might have.

Not that he was interested or something. Of course not.

A slight smile crawled over his face.

Well, it certainly felt nice though for once to know he had the upper hand and was able to keep his calm.

He turned around wanting to go back to Tom, he was waiting for him after all, but then he paused.

His sight fell on the other side of the street.

… what´s that woman doing there?

Just across, there was a woman, with long black hair, and a white dress. She was standing in the middle of an alley.

"Oi, yo-" suddenly he blinked and rubbed at his eyes.

…

Tentatively he took a step towards the alley.

…

Gone.

He went a few more steps ahead, and looked into the alley.

But no.

She wasn´t there anymore.

…

Weird… where did she go?

Suddenly something else caught his attention.

Tiny beetles were crawling out of the alley. Towards him and seemed to aim exactly for the staircase to Shinra´s- ... wait-

Those were not beetles…

What the-

"Cockroaches…?"

-Izaya´s point of view. Shinra´s apartment.-

"Come again?!" The raven couldn´t believe what the doctor just said.

He had been examining him for about eight hours now- eight whole fucking hours, and what was his answer?!

"Just as I said, Izaya, there is nothing wrong with you." The raven couldn´t believe it- angry he tightened his fists.

"Shinra, are you fucking kidding me?! My head and chest hurt, it feels difficult to breath at times, not forgetting I am getting so nauseous I actually throw up and you tell me nothing is wrong with me?!" he couldn´t believe it, was that doctor trying to joke or something?

If so then it was a god damn bad one.

"Izaya and I tell you, there is nothing wrong with you." The bespectacled sighed and adjusted his glasses. "The only explanation I would have is, that you are just imagining the pain." He tried, making Izaya only more furious.

"The fuck?! You tell me this is just happening in my head?!" he couldn´t believe it when the doctor nodded.

"Actually, yes Izaya, I believe that. There is no other explanation. I made every test I could think off, you have neither a virus, nor any disfunction of internal organs or hidden injury. What else do you want me to check?" The raven just stared at the doctor.

"Tch-" he refused to answer that. He knew himself Shinra tried everything to find out what he had, but no matter what, he was still feeling pain!

He didn´t believe it would just appear all of sudden!

Sure, he knew that people could imagine pain, for example, if they got a leg amputated and started to feel pain in a part of their body that didn´t even exist anymore, or some other aches old people often imagined they had because they believed they had some illness, even depressive people tend to get something like that, but him?!

He knew of those cases, he knew what the doctor said could be a possibility, looking at it from a logical perspective.

But not here!

It had started basically from one second to the other!

This wasn´t like what Shinra suggested!

The doctor sighed meanwhile. He had been trying his best to find out what was wrong with the informant all day.

But what was there left to do if there was just nothing physically wrong with the raven?

"Izaya, I don´t mean you are insane or something, but the only thing I could testify was that you had a fever when you came to me. Had. 38°C. But now you are fine. Looking at it I would say those were hallucinations, and yes, they can make you nauseous." He tried to explain, but the raven just eyed him in annoyance.

"Look, just go home for today, okay? I will try to find something in my books that could apply to whatever you have regarding the sudden heart pain and fever. For now the pain is gone anyway, right?" Izaya looked up.

Well, yes, actually the pain disappeared. Somewhere along the day it subsided, until it was completely gone. He felt like usual at the moment to be honest.

"And what if it acts up again?" he asked the doctor in return. The man shrugged. "Just take some painkillers if you really need to, and this against nausea." He held out a tiny little package of pills.

"It´s based on natural ingredients and shouldn´t harm your body, no matter if the pain is real or not." He added.

Frowning Izaya eyed the package.

Heh... so this was all he could do for him.

He sighed.

"Alright." And made his way to the door. "Try to find out whatever the heck this was." He said once more, before putting on his coat.

Shinra nodded. "Of course."

A little irritated the raven shuffled out of the doctor´s apartment.

Some nature based medicines and painkillers? He eyed the package with doubt.

If that weird pain and nauseating feeling returned, would they even help?

He sighed and went down the stairs, back onto the street.

Well, he had no other choice but to try, right?

He shoved the package into his coat´s pocket.

He glanced around, eyeing the humans around him.

He swore…. Once he found out, who did all this he would make their life living hell-!

-Shizuo´s point of view. Shinjuku.-

Irritated Shizuo walked next to Tom.

But no, this time as an exception, he was not mad at someone they paid a visit.

No, actually not.

The people they collected depbt from today, were actually quite the opposite of annoying.

The paid instantly, well except that guy who thought Shizuo was here to murder him before and stabbed him with that scissor.

Dumb guy, why would he murder him out of the blue? He wasn´t the flea after all.

No, what irritated him was that woman from before.

He just couldn´t shrug off those ghoosebumps he got when he thought about her.

He didn´t see her eyes, the were hidden partially behind her hair, but he had the slight feeling he didn´t even want to see her face.

And what irritated him abut that, was that he couldn´t get that creepy woman out of his mind.

It seemed like she was watching either himself, Shinra´s house, or the flea.

"Annoying.." he mumbled. Tom perked his ears.

"Annoying? What is Shizuo?" he asked. The blond, however, just shook his head.

"Nothing." Tanaka sighed and took a casual glance at his phone´s clock. It was 7pm.

"We are done for today Shizuo. Good job." He announced. Shizuo nodded.

"Got it." he shortly waved his boss as he made his way home.

Well, maybe he would stop getting those weird goosebumps once he was home.

He was just about to lit himself a cigarette, when suddenly someone caught his attention.

A woman, but no, not the woman in white.

But the one he had seen at Izaya´s place a few times before.

She was walking down the street, carrying some sort of plastic bag with her.

The blond cocked his head and watched her as she threw it into a waste container. Only after the swatted her hands, she noticed the debt collector.

"Ah, you are Shizuo Heiwajima, right?" she asked, closing the container again. He nodded.

She cringed her nose and got away from the container again.

"Ne, could you do me a favour and really kill that bastard next time you see him?"

Shizuo blinked.

"Bastard?" he repeated. Namie rolled her eyes. Was that guy really as dumb as Izaya described him?

"Orihara of course." She said, crossing her arms. "That damn bastard didn´t pay me today, even though he gave me a day off." She announced.

A little smirk crawled over Shizuo´ face.

It was obvious she hated the flea as well. He started to like that woman.

"Don´t worry, I plan on killing that flea as soon as I see him again anyway." He announced. Well, that wasn´t all that true actually, that depended if he was still sick.

The secretary nodded.

"Yosh, I hope you can finally get rid of him, and his disgusting creatures." She shuddered.

"Creatures?" Shizuo asked. She pointed to the container.

"Some time ago, he dragged home some cockroaches, and now they are fucking everywhere I just killed a bunch that followed me home. I just threw them away.. eww. Disgusting creatures." She cringed.

Izaya dragged them-

Suddenly he paused.

Right.

Before, at Kasuka´s shot when he met the flea, he noticed some cockroach too.. and before…

He stared at the container thinking.

That weird woman… didn´t the cockroaches come from her direction?

"Well anyway," the woman snapped him out of his thoughts. "Just concentrate on killing hom off soon, ne?" she stated and walked away. "Was nice meeting you Heiwajma-san." He nodded, looking afte her.

"Yeah."

... he couldn´t put a finger on it, but he kinda had a bad feeling.

Something pretty fucked up was going on here.

He didn´t know why he thought so, and he didn'teven know what that could be, but that feeling in his gut just told him something was wrong… and it was connected to the flea.

….

Time to pay the flea a visit.

-Izaya´s point of view. Izaya´s apartmet. 8pm. The sun has already set.-

Izaya groaned as he let himself slump back onto the sofa.

Again. Again that headache was acting up. He knew it would come again!

He frowned.

He swore, if that doctor didn´t know what was wrong with him by tomorrow he would visit a different doctor.

No matter how long he knew the bespectacled friend, he wouldn´t endure this longer.

Sighing, he got up and went back to his kitchen to get a glass of water. A sudden knock at the door, however, interrupted him in his action.

He frowned and glanced at the clock.

Who the hell would visit him at this time?

He pulled out his knife, and approached the door.

However, what he saw when he opened it, was certainly not what he expected to see.

"Hey flea."

Shizuo was standing in front of his apartment. Immediately a glare found its place on his expression and he glowered at the debt collector.

"Shizu-chan what the heck are you doing here?" he asked, pointing the knife at him.

Before Shizuo wouldn´t do anything, but now he was here... did he change his mind?

He bet he was out to kill him, now that it was easy.

"Don´t know…" the blond shrugged however, leaving the raven stupefied.

"…huh?" confused the informant stared at the blond. "What? Did the two braincells you gained die already? Usually you know why you go somewhere Shizu-chan" he remaked, leaving the blond to growl.

"That´s not it, I just got a feeling you had your hands in this, so I wanted to figure out what you are planning." He answered, not really solving any of Izaya´s questions.

"Planning?" he repeated, then sighed annoyed, and rubbed his temples. "Shizu-chan, I don´t knw what the fuck you are talking about, I am not plotting anything right now. I am sick as you could fairly well see today, ain´t I right?" he asked.

The blond shrugged. "I guess." The raven nodded.

"Well then, could you please be so nice and leave me the fuck alone? I don´t feel like playing with protozoans today." Shizuo frowned, but kept his temper.

Instead, he looked at the informant. He looked a little better by now, but judging from the frown on his forehead, he bet he was in pain.

"How are you?" he asked the question before he could think about it.

The raven just stared at him for a second flabbergasted.

"How I am? You ask me-" he gritted his teeth in utter annoyance, and stabbed the blond in the arm.

"What the fu-?!" he took a step back, out onto the corridor.

"Don´t you dare fucking pity me Shizu-chan, I could very well kill you off right now, you fucking brute! I want to be alone, so get the fuck out!" he spat, words dripping like venom from his lips as he glared at the blond.

And with that he slammed the door shut in his face.

Shizuo just stood there staring for a minute.

….

"Tch fucking flea. There I am actually not here to kill him and he acts like an ass." He mumbled after a while and scratched his head.

… well..

He had to admit, he wouldn´t exactly like it if he were in Izaya´s position either.

If the flea turned up at his door when he was sick and were to ask him how he was, he would very well throw his couch after him.

But.. one thing was bothering him a little.

If Izaya said he wanted to be alone…

…

Then why was that white woman in his room…?

…

-Izaya´s point of view. Izaya´s apartment.-

"Tch, fucking asshole." Well, so much for his headache, the screaming had just made it worse. His head was pounding by now-

He sat down on the couch again.

Well... at least that protozoan didn´t turn up again.

He could have very well expected him to break his front door and beat him up now.

Maybe he would have even preferred it.

Tch- damn brute… no-one told him he had to pity him like that.

He leaned back, and tried to relax.

…

He took a look around his apartment.

…

It was silent.

Was no-one here today?

No scratching?

He sighed and closed his eyes, exhausted on the couch. He would really, really give everything for a few hours of sleep now.

Just for a little, tiny, nap.

"I-za-ya~"

His eyes shot open again-

Who was that?!

Who just now called hi-?!

Slash

"Ah-!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> … END for today xD  
> Hahaha sorry I just had to end it here xD


	6. Realization and horror

-Shizuo´s point of view. On his way down the staircase not far from Izaya´s apartment.-

"Ah-!"

Shizuo stopped in his tracks as he heard the not exactly distant scream. The opposite, it came from across the hallway he had just left.

Izaya´s apartment-

He had just been on the staircase on his way down from the flea´s apartment, after all, Izaya seemed to be doing neither, talking to him, nor planning anything for once.

Shizuo took some steps backwards-

Was that just now a scream?

Was that Izaya who-

"GET AWAY HE IS MINE!"

Shizuo´s eyes widened a fraction when the yell reached his ears.

That voice.

A shudder ran down his spine and he couldn´t avoid feeling goosebumps run down his spine. He couldn´t put a finger on it, but that voice, it made him feel very uneasy-

That voice came from Izaya´s apartment.

That voice, was not Izaya´s.

It sounded like… Shizuo couldn´t put a finger on it, but it was something bad.

Something really really bad-

"GET AWAY!"

Izaya-

He didn´t even have a fucking clue why-

Because he hated the flea, he always hated the flea, but all of a sudden instead of feeling victorious or satisfied that something seemed to finally get the flea he was...he was-

Suddenly he moved.

Without even thinking why he was doing what he was doing or if he should even do it, considering it was his worst enemy that seemed to be in trouble, he started running towards the apartment when he recognized the latter panicking voice as Izaya´s.

Within a mere second he was at the door-

He didn´t even have any intention to knock first-

CRACK

The door got smashed down-

He stepped into the room-

"Oi Izaya?!"

He forced his way into the apartment his focus on nothing but finding Izaya-

And he did, instantly his sight fell on the flea.

But he wasn´t standing, he wasn´t greeting him with a knife- he was laying on the ground, and he was not moving-

Shizuo would have just thought he collapsed like he did when he met him last time if it weren´t for the blood-

There was blood!

A lot of it!

He stepped forward, kneeling down next to Izaya.

"Oi Izaya?!"

So much blood!

He wasn´t opening his eyes!

His face was consorted into a painful frown and he was curled up to a small frame-

Where the hell did all that blood come from?!

Who the fuck hurt him?!

Shizuo didn´t even know why, but he suddenly started panicking, like …

Like he feared losing something important.

How laughable considering it was the flea he was talking about, but damn it suddenly felt that way-!

He turned the raven around, to see just where the heck that blood was coming from!

His arm-

It was his arm!

A long, neat cut from his ellbow, down to his wrist- and fuck-! It was bleeding so much!

It looked like he had directly slit his vein-! But there was no way he would do that-

Hastily Shizuo teared off a piece of his shirt, roughly wrapping up the arm, trying to at least stop the blood from flowing a little-!

"Tch- the hell am I even doing-?" he mumbled annoyed, worried, annoyed- he wasn´t even sure god damn it-!

Who the heck did this?!

He was sure for once that this had been done to Izaya, this was not some plan the raven made himself, no way.

But there was no one in the apartment!

He didn´t know why the raven had screamed, he didn´t know why the raven was bleeding, or who was in here or where the culprit was now-

Aaaaahh it was so confusing!

He hated him! He hated him to the point he wanted to kill him, but now, his arm sliced open, and the life giving liquid flowing out of him relentlessly, Shizuo couldn´t bear the sight.

Dread started to fill him as he realized that this was pretty bad-

Even though he did not know why at all-!

"Shit, the things you make me do fucking louse!"

Without thinking further he lifted the smaller male up and started running out of that apartment.

He didn´t even get why he was doing this, why he wasn´t just leaving him, but damn-!

"Don´t die on me flea-!"

-The next day. Izaya´s point of view. Shinra´s place-

"I am surprised though Shizuo didn´t just leave you there." Shinra commented only to earn a venom dripping glare from the working informant.

Honestly, he didn´t even know why that brute saved him-

Just the thought of it-

Really?! Shizuo?!

Coming back after hearing him scream and save him?!

If it weren´t the only plausible explanantion and he knew Shizuo wouldn´t lie about something like that he would have never believed it.

But as amusing as it was it seemed as if the blond himself didn´t even know why he saved the raven.

As much as he hated what Shizuo did, he couldn´t quite go about it and say that he didn´t enjoy Shizuo´s confused expression right now.

It was midday.

Shizuo had "saved" him the night before.

But to be pretty honest…

"Earth to Izaya? Ready to talk about what happened yet? Or what the hell got into you?"

"Shut up Shinra, I told you I don´t remember."

… he didn´t remember at all.

Not at all-

He got told he screamed, he got told by no-one other than Shizuo, that someone yelled "No, he is mine."

He got told he was bleeding as fuck, and the cut on his arm was well enough proof for that.

But to be honest.

He couldn´t remember a thing.

Really.

Not even one detail.

For all he knew Shizuo could have been the one doing this to him, if he didn´t know that Shizuo would probably much rather prefer to just bash his face in-

The last thing he knew was the he shut the door in front of Shizuo´s face.

That´s it.

Not a single memory after that.

But now- he KNEW at least what the fuck was going on here!

And who had given him that important hint?

Surprisingly no-one other than the headless dullahan-

Celty had just said the right thing to finally realize just who it was that kept causing him troubles!

Really why hadn´t he thought of that earlier?!

\- A few hours after Shizuo saved Izaya. Shinra´s apartment. Izaya´s point of view.-

Urgh…. What the hell…

"Ah, he is waking up! Celty dear could you hold this for a second?"

Annoyed, Izaya blinked.

It was way too bright.

He realized he was laying down somewhere- but where…?

What happened…?

He had no clue… that had been Shinra´s voice, right?

Was he hurt?

Confused he blinked, trying to get his sight fixed.

Damn he felt really light-headed…

Suddenly there was a head right in his vison field.

"Welcome back to the living my lovely sociopathic friend~!" the doctor smiled cheerfully, making Izaya frown.

"Why back to the living? Am I hurt?" he asked confused, making the doctor blink in surprise.

"Eh? Don´t tell me you don´t remember?" he whined.

"Remember?" the doctor let out a dramatic sigh.

"And there I thought I would get to hear who managed to make a cut that precise along your veins without ending up being sliced up by you." He rambled on.

Well now Izaya really was lost.

"What?"

"Someone cut up your veins louse."

Izaya´s head snapped to the source of the voice.

He was in Shinra´s patient treating room.

Laying on the bed, Shinra standing next to him and Celty leaning in the doorframe.

With surprise he had to see that Shizuo was sitting next to his bed, casually smoking a cigarette even-

He glared at the blond and leaned a bit away in defense, not getting what was going on at all, and why the hell Shizuo was here.

"Why the hell are you here?" he spat, only too clearly remembering how the blond had showed up in front of his apartment.

But after that…?

Shizuo however just looked back calmy, and puffed out some smoke.

"You should be fucking grateful flea. I saved your sorry ass." He answered, making Izaya gape at him-

"Excuse me?"

"You seriously don´t remember at all?" Shinra suddenly asked again, causing Izaya to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"NO Shinra, I already said, I do not remember anything. Can someone please explain to me just what the hell happened?" ha asked annoyed.

Shizuo just stared at him yet again though.

Shinra was to one who finally cleared his throat and started to talk.

"We don´t really know what happened Izaya. Shizuo said he heard you scream, he ran back to your apartment, opened the door and found you bleeding on the floor. Then he scooped you up and brought you to me." He summed up the whole story as short as he could.

Izaya frowned.

"Yeah right and pigs can fly."

As if Shizuo would save him.

As if anyone could surprise him that fast-

"It´s the truth flea." Shizuo stated, just as weirdly calm acting as before.

And god it got on his nerves.

A sarcastic grin flashed over his face.

"So, just to sum up. You want to tell me my greatest enemy, the one that wants to kill me since I framed him in highschool, heard me scream, got into my apartment, found me bleeding and saved my life by bringing me here?" he asked, his speech dripping with disbelieve.

But he just gaped at the two when they both nodded.

"Why?!" he asked, glaring at Shizuo. "What do you want huh?Why were you even in front of my door? Are you fucking pitying me?!"

Rage suddenly filled him and he got out of the bed suddenly turning bold, or reckless, whatever you want to call it, because he just yelled at Shizuo right in front of him without any knife or protection whatsoever.

From all the things people thought about him, from all the things they said, from all the feelings they had towards him, reaching from anger to digust he seriously hated nothing more than being pitied!

He was just about to yell at the blond, when he shuddered.

He felt something cold touch his hand and looked down his body.

He jumped when he saw a bloody cockroach on his hand.

"What the hell-?"

He shook his hand, successfully throwing the critter onto the floor.

Disgusted he looked at it.

It didn´t move.

Was it dead?

Shizuo had seen the little bug as well and couldn´t tear his eyes of it.

Again.

He looked at Izaya, and at the cockroach.

What the hell was going on?

He had a really bad feeling when he looked at that creature.

But he had a way worse feeling when he looked at the flea.

And he still did not know why!

It was driving him insane.

He frowned and got up from his seat, walking over to the door while the flea was still staring at the creature.

He wasn´t even mad for Izaya yelling at him.

Seriously.

The raven followed him with his eyes and he could imagine him standing there with his mouth agape because he knew he had just been about to say something.

But before he could even hear the raven he left the room.

Annoying!

Confusing!

He hated how his brain worked at the moment. He started walking in circles around Shinra´s living room.

He knew he hated the flea- he knew it!

It was only rational! He hadn´t forgotten what he did, he hadn´t forgotten his anger-

But-

He couldn´t place a feeling on it.

Why the hell did he rescue the flea?

Why the hell did he even turn around?

Why did he even go to his apartment?!

He knew he didn´t go there because he wanted to know what was Izaya´s plan.

He want to go there because-

Because-

He didn´t know!

For fucks sake.

Annoyed he ruffled through his hair.

Ever since he saw that damn cockroach, when Izaya left and saw how bad he looked when he searched for him to pay him back- realizing for the first time that there was something wrong with him, he had a fucking really strange urge to stay close to him-

It was just insane!

Why?!

"Annoying-" he growled.

"Annoyannoyinannoying-" he ranted, going in circles inside Shinra´s apartment.

Shinra was watching him from the patient room, and closed the door, looking back at Izaya who was just as annoyed and furious as Shizuo it seemed, even though he didn´t know what was eating at Shizuo, he thought he could guess what it was that bugged Izaya.

"Izaya who attacked you there?" he asked, making the raven look at him.

"I don´t even know." He mumbled, rubbing his temples.

It was weird he had lost his memories.

From all he could see, he had gotten his left arm cut up, but that´s it.

There wasn´t even any sign of a fight taking place.

Not even a bump on his head that would explain the memory loss.

He didn´t understand why Izaya couldn´t remember.

He didn´t understand how someone could make a cut that precise without Izaya struggling at all-

He looked down at the cockroach and picked it up.

"Well that´s weird." He mumbled and inspected the insect closer, making Izaya look up at him again.

"Weird?" he asked.

"This little buddy here looks like it bathed in blood." He mumbled, adjusting his glasses.

Maybe Izaya´s blood?

He dropped it on the table next to Celty.

The dullahan shuddered when that creature got dropped so close to her.

Disgusting…

She typed on her PDA.

(Don´t drop that so close to me.) she wrote, causing Shinra to chuckle.

"Oh my sorry Celty, I didn´t know you were afraid of cockroaches."

(I´m not afraid it´s just disgusting.) she replied and was just about to move it to the dustbin with her shadows when she stopped.

Her shadows were acting weird-

They weren´t flowing over like they usually did, but were wobbling. As if they wanted to avoid the touch of the animal.

Which was certainly not something she was controlling.

She leaned closer and inspected the bug.

Shinra watched her while he waited for Izaya to recall anything.

The raven was still sitting there though, rubbing his temples, seemingly trying to remember just what happened.

But without success it seemed.

Suddenly his love tapped him on the shoulder. Shinra looked back at her, only to have her PDA shoved into his face.

"Woah woah, wait Celty I can´t read if you hold it that close to my face-" he leaned back, and read what she typed.

(that thing feels demonic-!)

"Demonic?" he blinked and adjusted his glasses.

"What do you mean Celty?"

Izaya´s ears perked at the word.

"Huh?" he asked, watching the headless woman as she typed.

(It feels as if it´s not from this world-)

She continued showing their message both men.

Izaya burst into laughter.

"Not from this world! That was a good joke Celty, don´t tell me you believe into that stuff too, like thos-"

Suddenly he paused in the middle of his sentence.

His eyes widened and his blood started boiling as realization finally dawned on him!

"THAT`S IT!" he almost yelled, causing Celty to jump at the sudden loudness of his voice.

"What is what?" Shirna asked, only to earn a wicked grin from the raven.

Why hadn´t he thought of it earlier?!

"It was those bastards! Those stupid kids-!" he suddenly declared getting up from the bed.

"Shinra, I will borrow your laptop-" he just announced and moved to the living room, Shizuo still going around in circles there glanced at him, but Izaya didn´t even waste a word to him.

He finally knew what was going on.

It was those guys!

Those guys from the demon summoning!

It was only 11:54pm, but hell- he was so damn furious now that he finally found out just who the culprit was-

He would make their life living hell now-!

To hell with sleep to hell with medications, he knew now what to do.

And so he started searching for information.

-The next day, evening. Izaya´s point of view. Shinra´s apartment.-

Now things were finally going his way.

He had already set things into motion-

Had phoned a locker service, changing his front door´s lock.

And then-

Phoned these damn satanistic brats-!

Oh yes THOSE.

Those kids that wanted to summon Akem manah and Kunti-whatever- it had to be them-!

Those scratches, only at night, that attack yesterday, the cockroaches!

There was no mistake-

These bastards wanted to scare him by doing this stuff-!

They wanted to pay him a lesson by doing this!

Because he made fun of them and their crappy ritual-!

Heh but not with Orihara Izaya- they had chosen the wrong enemy.

He had found out their names already.

The moment he woke up at Shinra´s place, and Celty dropped that line and he knew just what was going on, he didn´t even need to sleep anymore- his thurst for revenge on these brats was too great.

They had put him through hell, probably given him some weird drug to make him feel that pain that didn´t exist-

He would get them good for this-

"Oh yes of course it is the demon. Sure sure, come one really now, you know I can get you in jail for this?!" he was raging, he was phoning with one of these guys.

Basically he was just scaring them for now though. He already had them playing in the palm of his hand.

And now- his type of hell would break lose-

He got up from his seat.

Shizuo had long left the night before, Izaya didn´t even really notice when he was gone.

And he didn´t even think of why he was doing the things he did.

For now, all that he was focusing on was getting his revenge.

And with that thought in mind he left the house, leaving a still rather confused Shinra behind.

-Celty´s point of view.-

"Really now, I never know what is going on in the head of those two." Shinra mumbled, closing the laptop Izaya had left open.

Celty was staring at that disgusting creature.

Ewwww…

Disgusting…

Shinra had, for whatever sick reason, she honestly didn´t even want to know, placed it in a plastic form and put it on the kitchen table.

She shuddered.

That thing just looked so disgusting- she was just glad it didn't move anymore!

From the looks of it it as pretty much dead.

Its legs were drawn in and it didn´t move.

Good.

She stared at the thing.

Disgusting-

But she also had another feeling about this thing.

Slowly she moved her shadows close to it.

And again they did the same thing as the night before.

They started wobbling strangely, as if they wanted to avoid touch.

She couldn´t speak to her shadows, she didn´t even know why she could use them the way she could.

She just had no clue about her own existence.

So she was really curious, why her shadows were acting that way around the cockroach.

She dropped her hands on the table and leaned on them.

It was strange. It had never happened before.

The only thing she noticed her shadows acting different from usual was when the slasher cut her.

She heard strange voices and stuff.

But still-

It´s not like this cockroach was cut by the slasher or something.

That cockroach.. something seemed off about this.

Maybe she should just-

She extended her shadows towards the critter, ignoring the wobbling.

… even though it was disgusting beyond means.

She was curious what would happen when she actually let her shadows .. touch that thing..?

She swallowed, holding back a shudder as she made the decision to do so, and touched the little creature-

*PUFF*

She jumped in her seat surprised when suddenly the thing burst into a cloud of black smoke.

Flabergasted she stared at where the critter was until just now.

Eh-

EH?

EEEHH?

It disappeared!

What was that?! What did it mean?!

She stood up from the table and ran over to Shinra, rashly typing on her way and tapped him on the shoulders.

"Eh what is it Celty?"

She didn´t know what was going on, but that cockroach came from Izaya and she suddenly got a really bad feeling that there was something going on that had nothing to do with any illness-

(WHERE IS IZAYA?!)

-Kuntinalak. Akem manah´s point of view.-

"Tch that damn Shizuo! And damn you!" raging the white woman stormed around in Izaya´s aparmment. The skeleton demon watched her rather amused.

"Haha your plan didn´t work. He passed out after all but you missed a chance~ Too bad I killed your precious little bug, ne?" he grinned. The woman squinted her empty sockets as if she were glaring at him.

"Tch I knew you would interfere, but I would still have gotten him, even without you calling his name so he would turn around and you could slit open his veins. But how would I know that blond would be there?! How could I know he would be the one for him?! Just look at those two! They HATE each other!" she fumed and the cockroaches living in her body crawled around on her just as agitated.

"There is a thin line between Love and hate my dear. Well too bad. You can´t cut the tie and you know it. Especially since one of them saw you already"

The woman in white glanced at the demon-

"Just you wait, fuck that bond, that raven is too filled with pride to even realize what´s going on. And he will avoid his only chance to survive even if the other gets pushed towards him- I will still get him before you!" The skeleton glared at her, a red light gleaming in those pure white eyes of his.

"I am materializing by today- let´s see who will get whom first~"

-Shizuo´s point of view. On the streets of Ikebukuro. Saturday.-

Growling he went trough the streets.

What cigarette was he smoking by now anyway, the tenth?

He didn´t even know.

After he had left yesterday he was still rather confused.

He just couldn´t put a finger on that weird feeling he felt.

It defied everything he had ever thought about the flea.

If he didn´t know it better he would have said someone was manipulating his brain.

At least that´s what he felt like- brainwashed.

He was just walking through the streets of Ikebukuro.

Trying to get his thoughts of things, but well-

Easier said than done.

He swore he felt as if someone was manipulating his feelings.

Otherwise he couldn´t explain this longing emotion.

Sudden noise coming from the street made him look up.

It was evening, everything was coloured in orange and red colours and he blinked when he spotted Celty driving way too fast on the street.

The light of the sun reflecting on her bike when she spotted Shizuo and turned her bike to get to him.

Within seconds she stopped in front of the still rather surprised blond.

"Celty? What´s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" he asked, seeing Celty typed hastily on her PDA.

(Have you seen Izaya anywhere?!) he read on it and shook his head surprised.

Why did she ask him? Wasn´t he still at Shinra´s?

He had so busily been searching for something on Shinra´s laptop he almost would have bet the raven had stayed at least the night there doing that.

Celty shook her helmet though and started typing anyew-

(We have to find him!)

-Izaya´s point of view.-

The hell…

Panting he stopped.

He had just wanted.. to go …

Urgh..

That searing headache, god he couldn´t take it anymore…

Only half an hour ago he was leaving Shinra´s place to visit one of these damn brats personally to make them realize that they chose to mess with the wrong person.

They kept denying their doing all day long- no matter what kind of threat he pulled. They didn´t even admit wat they did.

So he decided to visit them, but damn.

Just a few moments ago his body had started acting up yet again-

His head felt like it was being ripped apart. He had already taken the painkillers he still had kept in his pocket, but damn, this searing headache just wouldn´t leave him alone-!

Panting he dragged himself along the street.

Urgh…

By now he seriously doubted he could go over there in this state.

Sighing he changed direction and headed for his home instead.

He knew now that it had been those kids that caused all of this.

He didn´t really know how they did it yet, but it was them.

He was 100% sure of that.

Tired he dragged himself along the crowded street.

Seriously.

That headache, was killing him-

"Izaya-!"

"Eh?" surprised he turned around, having heard his name being called.

To his utter surprise he saw no-one other than Shizuo and Celty running towards him.

-Celty´s point of view.-

Shocked Celty stopped in her tracks as they ran towards Izaya.

What the hell is that?!

Shizuo stopped as well- his eyes widened.

He had followed Celty before on her search for Izaya.

Why?

He didn´t even want to fucking think about it anymore.

But what he saw now seriously made a shudder run down his body.

What-

Was-

That?

Izaya was standing there, and had turned around to look at them, sine Shizuo had called his name.

Everything around him was normal, the surroundings, the people, everything.

But what was behind him, was an entirely different matter.

Whatever it was, it was moving, it looked like a skeleton dog, and it was staring right at them with blank white eyes-

Izaya couldn´t see it, it was behind him, and he was sure no-one else could see it, for the people around the flea did not act weirdly at all nor did they do as much as even glance at the weird creature.

But Celty saw it.

He knew it instantly by the way she stopped in her tracks.

And he saw it- for whatever fucking reason there was, he saw it-

Then everything seemed to go very fast-

Izaya turned around, his eyes went wide, it was obvious, that NOW he was seeing it too-

He opened his mouth for a scream, Shizuo dashed forward-

Celty used her shadows to chain up the skeleton creature-

But then it was suddenly there.

Not behind Izaya, not far away-

It was. Right. Next. To. Them-

And suddenly there was blood, the scream of Izaya reached his ears, and he saw the thing bite hard into Celty´s arm-

He turned around, he wanted to rip the thing away from his friend, but suddenly a force met his body hard and he found himself being tackled to the ground-

Confused he tried to get up, only to be held down by something, but he coldn´t see, his sight was suddenly black.

He tried to struggle against whatever he was fighting, but it didn´t budge.

And then-

It was suddenly gone.

He could open his eyes, he could see.

Quickly he got up, his eyes falling on the hurt Dullahan next to him first, and then back to the spot Izaya had been at.

But the flea was gone.

The skeleton dog was gone-

And Celty was laying on the floor, not moving anymore.

-Izaya´s point of view.-

Angry Izaya kept walking inside his apartment, as he hung up on the last one of these brats.

They kept denying everything of course.

His patience had already reached a critical point, but NOW he was seriously fed up!

The pain had stopped all of a sudden. But he still decided it would be wiser to go home instead of going over to one of these guys and talk to them personally now.

Who knew if the pain would act up aga-

Suddenly he stopped.

He turned around, only to realize tht he was already in his apartment.

-wait..

How did he get here again?

He rubbed his temples, trying to remember, but… he only remembered standing on the street, pondering on whether to go home or not, and then…

Then..

He thought about it.

He had a feeling he was forgetting something.

He had a feeling there was something missing.

Did something happen while he was going home from Shinra´s?

A sudden noise from his phone distracted him.

An SMS-

Almost instantly he felt his blood starting to boil-

He had been calling those fucktards the whole day and the only thing he got was an SMS saying:

It was the demon.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!"

CRASH

What the heck?!

Mad- oh god he was mad!

Mad wasn´t even sufficient to describe just how- how damn fucking annoyed and angry he was!

He hadn´t slept, for five whole nights-

Five!

His patience ran out long ago. And the phone that had just ended up being crashed on the wall- was just another outcome of his rage.

Oh yes Izaya was furious, no infuriated!

He had just entered his apartment, while talking to one of these guys he had sniffed out.

But oh, did he receive any useful- no scratch that- even in any sense rational explanation?!

No!

He had not!

Of course, even the main leader of this "satanistic group" was equally mentally disordered as the rest- they were all mental cases it seemed! No matter how Izaya threatened the guy, he wouldn´t spill who really was doing all these things!

No matter, who, when, how or what he asked, the answer was always the same- "It was the demon!"- "Oh, it has to be the demon!"-"It´s the demon´s work!"-"It´s your fault, you insulted the demon!"

Demon here, demon there-

Seriously, were they really that stupid to believe such nonsense? Or were they just fucking with him?!

Annoyed Izaya rubbed his temples as he stopped going in circles around his room.

Another bad habit he had taken on during this whole incident.

Well, thinking back, after what he had heard during their "summoning" he should have guessed already that these guys seriously had a screw loose.

They didn´t just act- they were really that crazy.

Izaya would have laughed his ass off at the insanity of these poor people and maybe have been fascinated by the human mind and how it was even able to be convinced into something so unbelievable if he hadn´t already been fed up with this shit day ago.

A demon. Yeah, right.

So all these strange things that were happening to me these past days were a "demon´s" fault- surely.

He refused to believe such nonsense. He refused to believe that his "little fun" last week could have led to... to this!

Of course, who the heck would?!

\- Shizuo´s point of view.-

"Shinra!" Shizuo burst into the doctor´s apartment, carrying the unconscious woman in his arms.

The bespectacled man was just about to scold Shizuo for ruining his door again- of course he had just busted it open- but then his eyes fell on Celty and he almost stumbled dashing over in shock.

"What happened Shizuo?!" he asked, his voice near damn cracking as he looked at his unconscious lover.

Blood was dripping down from her arm and her shadows were flailing around aimlessly.

Still, not moving the tiniest bit.

"Shizuo?!" Shinra almost yelled again, trying to get something out of the blond, as he was trying to grasp for words that could describe what just happened.

"There was something Shinra, something that was not human and-"

Suddenly he froze.

Dread filled him and an image of Izaya flashed through his mind.

He got a really, really damn bad feeling-

Shinra was just focused on his future wife- worry was marking his expression.

"Shizuo, I asked what-"

And suddenly he ran.

Shinra gaped at the blond and stumbled after him a few steps as he dashed away-

"Shizuo?!"

But the blond was already gone from his sight.

Only one thought kept repeating in his mind.

Save Izaya-

Save Izaya-

Save Izaya-

He didn´t even know from what, or why something was telling him he was in danger, it just made no freaking sense!

But he had always trusted his gut feeling, because it had always been right, that intuition of his.

And right now it was telling him to get the fuck to Izaya.

-Izaya´s point of view. 8:04pm.-

He sighed and turned his computers off.

"Let´s leave it." He mumbled to himself while stretching his sluggish body in front of his huge window.

The sky was tinted in beautiful red as the sun had almost completely disappeared from the horizon immersing the city in crimson light.

He couldn´t prevent another yawn from escaping his lips, bringing tears to his eyes. Lazily he rubbed them away with his sleeves.

He decided to not set an alarm for tomorrow. It was Sunday anyway, for once he would do what just anyone else in this city was usually doing on a free day- sleep in.

Wearily he made his way up to his bedroom. He chuckled.

He couldn´t remember the last time he went to sleep while the sun was still out… made him feel like a child again.

Sighing, he closed his door, shut the curtains to get the room almost completely dark. This was certainly the first time he anticipated sleep that much.

Neatly he placed his knife under his cushion- of course it was always there- just for safety.

*Scratch* *scratch* *scratch*

He froze- and stared at his door.

-Shizuo point of view.-

He panted, he had been running nonstop-

Taking a taxi? Hadn´t come to mind, seriously.

He just kept running to come in time-

In time for what?

He didn´t even know.

He just ran, and followed his instinct.

Only after he ran half the way to Izaya´s apartment, he realized that he could call the flea-

Maybe he knew what that was?!

Maybe he had seen the skeleton and ran away?

Maybe he was hiding somewhere from it?

He had the flea´s number from the last time he called him-

And so he phoned him.

"Yes?" not even surprised by how fast the raven picked up Shizuo started talking right away.

"What the hell was that flea?!" he asked, meaing that skeleton, Izaya had to have seen it, he had to have a clue what the hell was following him around then!

"Shizu-chan? What gives? Why are you calling me?" Stupefied Shizuo paused.

"Why am I- you damn flea, you know exactly why I am calling you! Don´t play dumb!" he growled.

"No Shizu-chan, I don´t know what you are calling for, so if you would please enlighten me, just what urged you to call me, I would be utterly delighted."

An annoyed growl was heard through the phone.

"I am talking about that damn thing that was following you around today!" Izaya blinked.

"Hah? What thing? Nobody was following me around today Shizu-chan."

What the actual fuck?!

"You know what I am talking about! What was that?! It bit Celty!" he tried again, trying to get to know just what was following the informant around.

"Hah?" was the only response he got hough. "Shizu-chan, what you´re saying doesn´t make sense at all."

"You damn flea, don´t evade my question! What was that?!"well by now he was pretty damn angry, he knew Izaya had seen it, he had even screamed!

"Shizu-chan, please, I already said-" suddenly a weird pause followed.

"AAAAAH!" Shizuo nearly stumbled when he heard the loud scream-

"Izaya?!" he asked, suddenly that weird feeling popping up again instead of the anger.

But no answer came.

"Oi Izaya!" Still nothing.

"IZAYA!" He swore the flea freaking drove him insane! He was already dashing to his apartment, but-

"WHAT?!" a shriek suddenly reached his ears. "Fuck!"

"Oi Izaya what happened?!" he yelled, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Oi, where are you?!"

"Huh?" perplexed by the question Shizuo stopped running.

"I asked where you are!" Where he was?

He was on the way to the flea, well to be precise he was already in Shinjuku.

"Oi Shizuo?! I asked where you are, are you going to answer me or not?!" he cleared his throat.

"… Near your apartment actually… why?" If he hadn't imagined it he could have sworn he had heard a relieved sigh over the phone.

"Shizuo, I will give you everything you want- money, information, humilitate me- no matter what if you come up here and break down my front door!"

Shizuo who had continued to run chocked on air when he heard the raven´s request.

"You want me to do what?!" he asked.

"Now Shizuo! I am serious! I will do anything! Just come up here as fast as you can!" the flea sounded so desperate somehow-

"Why?!" he asked once more, not getting what the flea wanted-

"Shizuo, look, I have no idea why, but I am locked in my apartment and there seems to-"

Suddenly it was silent.

Shizuo strained his ears to hear something,but no, nothing.

He checked his phone-

Yes he was still connected, so why-?

"Sh-Shizuo…" suddenly he froze.

That whisper.

Afraid.

Izaya´s voice was wavering, he sounded afraid, he-

"Shizuo… hurry… please."

Something was wrong! And with that he ran.

He ran as fast as he could, the apartment not being far, he dashed over.

He didn´t even answer, he just ran-

"Shizuo… " the faint whisper just fuelled his tempo.

He was almost there!

In the bulding!

"… Hurry…" On the right floor!

Just the door!

*SLAM*

And with that he crashed it in, in one go-

And then he saw her-

He barely noticed the flea sitting next to him or the skeleton to the other side that was looking at him, because in the reflection fo the window he could see that woman again.

That white dressed woman, a knife in her hands, the long bloody tongue licking the blade staring at him with no eyes.

Empty sockets, filled with cockroaches staring back at him, and a maniacal grin filling her face.

Only when it moved he noticed the skeleton next to him, without even thinking he tried to punch the creature- and the raven-

Ran-

"Izaya run!" Shizuo yelled, thinking he could try and hold the skeleton back, but he didn´t see the woman.

With the crazy grin still in place she laughed loudly before dashing after the raven.

Shizuo turned around, looking after her, but quickly shifted yet again.

The skeleton was still there!

Staring at him with white eyes and its mouth agape.

"You are not going to hurt Izaya!" he didn´t even know where that urge to protect the flea suddenly came from, but he just knew he had to.

Suddenly the creature faded away- saying but seven words that left the blond stupefied.

"Run-! Save him or he is lost-"

-Izaya´s point of view.-

Izaya ran.

Izaya ran as fast as he could take!

Every pain he had was forgotten- every thought placed far back into his brain except one dominant one ruling his mind.

FLEE

He ran down the streets, it was dark, all of a sudden it was so dark!

There were no longer people on the street!

Where did they go to?!

Just where-

"Iza-chan~"

Izaya stopped in his tracks when he heard the voice and swirled around, holding his knife so tight he hurt his own hand.

But he didn´t even notice the blood running down.

He was feverishly scanning his surroundings, searching for this voice.

And he didn´t have to look for the source for long time.

"Demon´s are nothing compared to the lord, huh? It were your words weren´t they~?" the voice continued.

Slowly Izaya turned around, looking into the window glass of a shop.

And then he saw her.

Right behind him.

He didn´t even dare to move.

He was scared shitless.

This was not a game. This was not a joke.

This… this… demon was real-

The tears he spilled earlier slowly started building up as tremors shook his body.

She was standing right behind him. He could see her.

He didn´t dare turn around.

He couldn´t.

It was as if he was frozen in fear.

The woman grinned and licked his ear.

"I am going to show you filthy human just WHAT we are capable off~" She announced, suddenly pointing to the window glass of the shop.

"Like your reflection~?" she asked.

Izaya stayed silent. Quivering in fear.

"Ne Iza-chan, wondered why you felt so bad the whole time~?" the woman suddenly ask, and Izaya suddenly felt like someone had tugged the carpet away under his feet.

"… why….?" He asked, barely audible.

The woman grinned devilish.

"Look here~" She pointed at his arm.

And suddenly there was a bulge on his arm.

A moving bulge.

Izaya´s eyes widened and he shivered.

"What- what is that?" he mumbled quiet.

"Ne Iza-chan~ Do you remember that dream about my lovely tiny friends~?" she suddenly asked.

Izaya´s eyes widened.

"Your friends…?"

Suddenly she grinned- and dozends of cockroaches crawled out of her eyes.

Izaya froze Izaya looked at his arm-

The bulge-

"Ex~ac~tly~" she hummed-

And then he went crazy.

Immediately he tightened his grip on his blade and stabbed his left arm, stabbed the spot where the cockroach was inside!

Stabbed it!

Once- twice- trice-

"That´s it~! Oh yesss~ Just hurt yourself~ just try to get rid of them!" the woman laughed maniacally-

More and more bulges popping up, on his leg, his tighs, his stomach, his chest-

He didn´t stop-

He couldn´t stop trying to stab them, they were inside!

They were inside-!

Inside!

He couldn´t take the thought-

OUT

OUT

OUT

Blood splattered, his breathing got ragged, he panted,

The bulges were not moving anymore.

He was crying, it hurt.

He was crying, the woman was still behind him.

He was crying, he was scared-

The white woman grinned and patted the raven on the head.

"Good boy~ But Iza-chan~ You missed one~!"she suddenly announced with a childlike gasp.

Izaya cringed, tears dropping down.

"W-here?" he asked.

Just wanted to get rid of it, stab it, no matter where it was-

A grin flashed over the woman´s face.

She turned Izaya around and smiled at him with those empty sockets.

Her finger was pointing on his forhead-

"Here~"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welll DAMN yes I am stopping here xDD ahahaha nene just wondering, how many of you guessed this already? xD The cockroaches inside Izaya being the painsource I mean x3 Just out of curiousity xD Would love to know~  
> Well then this is the end for chapter 5 xD But heeyyyy~ hope this creeped you out a bit- xD hue hue hue  
> I´m going to be sooooo evil- pfft


	7. Akem Manah

-Izaya´s point of view. In front of the shopwindow.-

They were inside-!

Inside!

He couldn´t take the thought-

OUT

OUT

OUT

Blood splattered, his breathing got ragged, he panted-

The bulges were not moving anymore.

He was crying, it hurt.

He was crying, the woman was still behind him.

He was crying, he was scared-

The white woman grinned and patted the raven on the head.

"Good boy~ But Iza-chan~ You missed one~!"she suddenly announced with a childlike gasp.

Izaya cringed, tears dropping down.

"W-here?" he asked.

Just wanted to get rid of it, stab it, no matter where it was-

A grin flashed over the woman´s face.

She turned Izaya around and smiled at him with those empty sockets.

Her finger was pointing on his forhead-

"Here~"

Time seemed to stop for a second.

His eyes went wide and for a little moment he just stared, stared disbelieving at the demon behind him, at the hand that pointed to his head.

"H-here…?" The woman laughed crazy, making Izaya jump in his skin.

"What? You don´t believe me little raven~? How about this then~?"

Suddenly the demon shifted behind him, more and more cockroaches crawling out of her body.

"They are calling for their mommy~"

And suddenly it hurt-

"Aaahh-!"

It hurt!

Hurt!

Hurt so much!

He dropped down to his knees, holding his head in his hands- so much pain, he couldn´t take it, his head felt like it was going to explode-

"Ahahaha-! Move! Move my little baby~!" the woman yelled, all the critters suddenly starting to crawl up Izaya´s body-

"NO!" he yelled, only to be assaulted by even more pain-

He couldn´t take it anymore, he curled up on the ground, not even able to think clear anymore.

It hurt- it just hurt so much.

He couldn´t he-

He-

And suddenly his body went limp and he got drowned in darkness.

…

The woman laughed, still standing there and looked at the now unconcious raven.

"Passed out already? Oh come on, you are no fun~!" she complained, hovering over the raven.

Slowly she leaned down and let her tongue trail over the exposed belly of his shirt-

"Hmmm~ You will make a nice example~" she mumbled, before suddenly opening her mouth wide, many, long, sharp teeth slowly emerging from them-

A grin flashed over her face once more and she giggled.

"Nighty nighty Iza-chan~" she whispered in a mocking lovely voice before she leaned down and-

"IZAYA?!" startled the woman snapped her head towards the voice-

That damned blond guy-!

Shizuo stared at the scene for but a second-

Izaya was laying on the ground, bleeding from various places as it seemed and that thing- what the hell was that thing about to do?!

"Get the fuck away from him!" he roared, without even thinking he dashed forward, ripping a street sign out of the pavement on the way-

The woman´s eyes as much as you could call them eyes widened.

What was that strength?

But she didn´t move nonetheless, immediately she regained her composture and just giggled, waiting for the blond to reach her.

Shizuo growled and swung the sign down on the woman, but-

With no effect at all.

He stumbled and turned around, confused by what happened-

"What-" the woman laughed almost hysterically.

"You are one interesting human for sure-" she giggled. "Certainly the first human that tries to hit a ghost with an earthly subject. And certainly the first human I saw that contained so much strength."

She turned away from the raven. It was wasn´t as if he could go anywhere anyway, and took a look at the man before her. He sure was an interesting example of a man.

The critters returned to her, crawling up her body.

"Maybe I should make you my target~?" She suddenly grinned, pondering on it, but almost as soon as she had turned around to look at him, she turned around yet again and glanced frowning at Izaya.

She shook her head- "First things first, ne, Iza-chan~?" she smirked and brushed over the raven´s unconscious face.

Shizuo glared at the woman, the street sign still resting in his hands.

"I said get the fuck away from him!", he yelled, throwing the sign yet again at her.

But just as before without any disruption it flew just straight through the giggling woman.

"You aren´t that smart, are you? I already said it wouldn´t work~" she laughed, and with that Shizuo started running towards her.

The woman turned around expecting the blond to try punching her now and just laughed even more, the stupiditiy of the blond amusing her greatly.

She summoned some more cockroaches, gathering them around her-

This time she wouldn´t just let him do as he pleased, if he touched her, she would let her little friends do the same to him as to Izaya-

But it didn´t come as she thought, instead of a punch the blond just suddenly passed by her.

Confused a frown found its way onto her forhead and she swirled around.

He was running away? No-

A raging scream escaped her throath when she saw what that man did- instead of hitting her he had just passed her and took that raven with him!

Immediately she dashed after the two- she would get that bastard!

Shizuo, just ran.

He had just thrown Izaya over his shoulders- he couldn´t stop long enough to carry him properly, that thing was right behind them-

He couldn´t even check for his injuries.

He just ran, he could hear the woman yell.

She had probably thought he was out to try and hit her again, he wasn´t that dumb though.

He looked back, the woman was still running after them, the critters disgustingly creeping over her entire body in the same fury as her-

"Tch-" he sped up some more, he felt like he was on a chase with the flea.

Just that this time he was not the one chasing, but the one being chased-

Seriously he didn´t get how Izaya could enjoy that kind of thing, it was unnerving to have someone who could very well kill you if they got you, after you-

He tried running faster, he tried taking different alleys, he knew where they were leading to. Sure, this was Shinjuku, but he hadn´t only chased the raven in Ikebukuro, he had very well chased him until here a lot of times too.

"NO!"

Startled he stopped and turned around.

The woman was behind them, yes, but she had stopped.

That yell had come from her.

Her face consorted into a furious frown and she glared at the two.

To his amazement Shizuo noticed how the lower half of the woman seemed to disappear.

Slowly it started to get more and more invisible while the frown on the woman´s face grew deeper and deeper.

"This isn´t over yet-" She suddenly spat, more and more of her disappearing, until she finally faded away completely.

Anxious Shizuo looked around, kept watching his surroundings even after she was gone.

It was still night, where was she?

Did she really disappear?

Where to?

For what felt like an eternity he stood there still, not moving the tiniest bit, just waiting to hear some noise or to see her re-appear again.

But it didn´t-

What was that?!

Just what the hell was that thing?!

Why was it following the raven around?!

What did it want from him?!

A sudden cough snapped the blond out of his thoughts.

It wasn´t the ghost, or demon of whatever though, but Izaya.

Quickly he got the raven off his shoulders and kneeled down, placing him on his lap.

"Oi, Izaya?" he asked, hoping for the raven to wake up, to tell him just what the hell was going on- but he wouldn´t wake up.

Just a frown was visible on his face, implying that he was in pain.

"Tch, shit-" he picked the raven up again, this time properly, and started running once more.

This time not away from the demon though, but as quickly as he could to Shinra´s place.

-Shinra´s place. Shinra´s point of view.-

What happened?!

Just what on earth?!

He kept and kept examing Celty, he had already taken care of the tiny wound on her arm- it wouldn´t heal!

Celty always healed right away! He knew from his father´s experiments as a child!

Why wasn´t it healing now?!

Why wasn´t she waking up?!

He didn´t know what to do!

Frustrated he walked in circles in the living room. Celty was just in the room next to him, he had left the door open so he could see her from here, just in case she woke up.

He just couldn´t think of anything anymore!

And Shizuo didn´t pick his phone up neither!

He tried calling him countless times!

He was with her! He must have seen what happened! Maybe knowing just what was going on would help him!

He returned back to Celty´s room, standing next to her he watched his unconscious lover.

Just what?

What could he do?

"Celty you gotta wake up again-" he mumbled, sitting down on the chair next to the bed.

But the shadows weren´t moving, neither was her body.

Suddenly he heard something from the front door-

"Shinra!"

Shizuo!

He shot up from the chair so quickly it tilted over with a loud thump-

Quickly he dashed out of the room and to his front door.

There he was, the blond, and he was carrying Izaya.

Confused he looked at the two.

Izaya was bleeding all over his body and obviously just as onconscious as Celty.

"Shizuo what happened?!" he asked, worry, anger, everything swirling in his eyes.

Shizuo just shook his head shrugging though.

"I don´t know, I have no clue." He answered truthfully, but that answer was definitely not what the doctor was going to accept- he glared at the blond and before he knew it he was yelling at him.

"I asked what the hell happened!" he screamed, anger reigning the expression on his face. "Cetly won´t regain consciousness Shizuo! What happened?! You were with her!"

Shizuo gaped a little at the bespectacled. He had never seen him that angry, or even yelling for that part.

"Shinra, calm down, I don´t know what that was-"

"I am NOT CALMING DOWN!" He just got even louder. He glared at the unconscious raven.

"Was it his fault?! Did he do something again?!" he asked Shizuo, but the blond just didn´t know!

He got angry as well.

"I don´t know Shinra, okay?! If you want to know you have to treat Izaya!" he stated, the bleeding raven still in his arms.

Shirna frowned, but nodded.

"Place him on that bed here." he mumbled, pointing to another bed in Celty´s room.

Really. The last thing he wanted to do now was treat Izaya, when he was almost 100% sure that is was exactly that raven´s fault that his wife to be was now not moving anymore.

But he was his last chance. Maybe Izaya knew what was going on.

He always knew what was going on after all-

And so he started to take care of the raven.

Minutes, hours passed by, he already treated every wound on his body, not even asking Shizuo why it looked like the raven had stabbed himself countless times.

But it sure stirred a weird feeling to know the raven would do this to his own body.

He stopped the bleeding, he patched the cuts up-

And since then they waited.

Waited that one of the two would just wake up.

But the hours passed, they both didn't sleep and the two didn´t wake up. They didn´t even talk, they just waited.

Only in the early morning, around 5pm he suddenly heard something aking to a groan- and jumped in his seat-

He looked over at Celty, irrationally hoping that it was her who had made the noise, just ignoring the fact that she couldn't even make that sort of noise.

But it was Izaya of course who was waking up.

Shizuo was at his bed immediately.

The raven frowned and slowly blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the light.

"…what..?" he mumbled, trying to get up.

"Izay-"

"Izaya what happened to Celty?!" Shinra almost immeditaley interrupted the blond, making the raven look at him in confusion.

"What..?" he asked. Shinra gritted his teeth.

"I asked what happened to Celty! Shizuo said she got bit by some weird skeleton, you were attacked by some weird woman-! Izaya what the hell is going on, what did you do?!" he yelled at the raven.

But Izaya just gaped at the doctor, Shizuo and-

His eyes went wide, and suddenly he remembered-

Right… he was… in his room… the skeleton thing appeared and then…

His eyes widened and he screamed- instantly grabbing the knife that rested on the nightstand next to him-

That woman!

She was there-!

In his head- there was-!

Without even thinking he tightened his grip on it and closed his eyes, aiming for his head- only to be stopped by a hand that tightly gripped his own.

"IZAYA!" Shizuo yelled. "What the fuck are you doing-?!" he asked.

The bespectacled just stared as confused at the raven as Shizuo.

Izaya cringed- "Let go you damn prototzoan!" he yelled, only confusing the blond even more-

Quickly he took the blade away from Izaya´s grip. His hands were cold and shivering.

Was he scared? Of what?

"Izaya, what´s wrong?!" Shizuo asked once more, only making Izaya flinch in horror.

"There is a cockroach, a cockroach inside my head Shizu-chan!" he yelled.

The two staring at him dumbfounded- "What..?"

"No it´s not anymore." Startled they turned around when they heard the foreign voice-

No, not foreign. At least not to Shizuo-

Shizuo knew that voice!

Shinra´s as well as Izaya´s eyes went wide-

There it was-

That skeleton thing Izaya had seen inside his apartment-!

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Izaya suddenly freaked out, trying to jump off the bed, but Shizuo tightened his grip on him instead and forced him down again.

Instead he moved in front of the raven.

"Who are you?! What do you want?!" he asked, the bespectacled moving in front of his lover, while he gaped at the creature.

The skeleton thing chuckled amused.

"No need to be afraid humans." He suddenly said, a red light glowing inside his dark skull, moving as if he were looking at each of them.

He straightened himself and raised his voice a little louder.

"If I may introduce myself: My name is Akem manah the demon of sensual desire- Many refer to me as the demon of evil intention or evil purpose. My job if you want ot put it that way, is to prevent people from fulfilling their moral duties and manipulate others." He glanced at the raven.

"The little kids you laughed about where actually pretty close with choosing you as a participant in the ritual."

Izaya swallowed his eyes turning wide.

He couldn´t believe it.

This was a dream.

It had to be a dream.

"From what I saw so far you are quite similar in your frame of mind~" he grinned, making the raven shudder.

"You were the one who bit Celty!" Shizuo suddenly announced, making Shinra´s head snap towards the blond, and back to the skeleton-

"You- what?!" he didn´t know what to do. This thing was obviously not from this world-

The demon however didn't´laugh or anything like the crazy woman did.

Instead he bowed.

"My apologies. I was guarding Izaya and when I saw the Dullahan I thought she was helping out that delirious woman." He glanced at the uncious woman, then back at the doctor. "Hm it seems you have the bond with her. Interesting. Rest assured, I didn't kill her, I just reverted her into a sleeplike state. She should wake up in a few days. Unharmed of course." He explained, making the bespectacled sigh relieved.

He didn´t even know why, this was a demon after all, but somehow he believed his words.

"Wait, did you just say you guarded Izaya?" Shizuo asked the question that was burning on Izaya´s lips.

The demon nodded, now glancing at the raven.

Izaya shivered involuntarily.

"Yes I did. Remember the scratching my dear fellow?" he asked, making Izaya´s eyes widen in realization.

"The woman that you two saw, is Kuntilanak. The second demon that got summoned. She is the spirit of a lady who died during child-birth, and became undead. I don´t think you want to know what her "job" is-" he faded out. "She is a vengeance moved woman and the only thing on her mind is to kill you in the most cruel way possible, while I, a demon of more refined taste, am more interested in manipulating and causing chaos, she prefers sticking to these plain brute actions." He explained getting all three men to stare rather disbelieving at him.

Izaya trembled at the obvious threat.

Everything he saw- it was real.

"The scratching you heard, was me," the demon continued. "Kuntinalak is a weak ghost, she can´t materialize right away, so the only way she could have killed you was through your dreams. I had to keep you awake. Sadly I failed to prevent her from attacking you with her pets the first night you slept."

Suddenly it all made sense.

Everytime he had started to nod off, he had heard the scratching. The weird illness was suddenly making sense, if there were dozends of cockroaches in his body that-

He felt nauseous just thinking about it.

"Then the cockroaches-"

"Those you killed yourself as well as those you didn't, I removed, rest assured." The demon stated, making the raven sink back on his bed in relief.

"They are gone…" he mumbled.

"How did you even get in contact with these demons Izaya?" Shinra suddenly asked, obviously having calmed down by now.

The raven looked down, making the demon chuckle. Shizuo glared at the demon.

"What?"

"Oh it´s just, it´s his own fault. He took part in a demon summoning ritual and made fun of us. Adding to that he even destroyed the seal on the floor that prevents us from running around free and acts as a portal to the netherworld at the same time." He explained, both of them looking at Izaya now.

"Are you freaking crazy?!" they almost asked in chorus-

"How the fuck could I know they actually summoned something?!" he asked back, glaring at the two.

"Just think about it! Who would believe that! Demons don´t exis-" he paused, then looked at Akem manah. "… at least I thought they didn´t exist." He mumbled quiet.

The demon snickered, his skeleton mouth clattering with each move.

"Why are you even helping me?" he asked suspicious. Somehow it seemed pretty fishy. A demon helping him against another one? Even though he insulted him too?

Akem manah shrugged before opening his mouth once more-

"Oh, let´s just say I took a liking to you, and maybe I´m just pretty bored." Izaya looked at the demon suspiscious.

And just because he was bored he would help him?

It still sounded fishy… but… what other choice did he have but to believe the demon?

"More importanly-" the demon suddenly approached the raven, making him flinch slightly and Shizuo move in front of him.

"What do you want from him?" Shizuo asked, to Izaya´s surprise.

"What the hell do you care?" Izaya asked frowning. Until now he was to distracted to notice it, but wasn´t the blond acting way too- protective over him?!

He wanted to kill Izaya, so why…?

The demon grinned when Shizuo glared at the raven.

"Oh just shut up, flea, okay?"

"Seems you two have noticed the changes already." He announced. Both of them turning around to look at him.

"The what?" The demon pointed at Shinra.

"What he and that Dullahan have is what we refer to as the bond." He started, "you could call it love or longing, or just a sign of fate that you belong together in some way, feel free to interpret it as you like." He continued, they nodded.

They could understand that. "So we are destined to love each other?" Shinra suddenly asked, a little grin flashing over his face.

Now that he knew his dullahan was safe he could relax a little, and the demon seemed to be less and less threatening by the way he talked.

"Exactly. Now, returning to you Izaya," he looked back at the raven, " And you, I´m sorry I forgot your name-"

"Shizuo. Heiwajima Shizuo." He threw in.

"Shizuo it is, you two share exactly the same bond-"

…

Silence.

They looked at each other, then back at the demon with a face that just screamed- are you fucking kidding us?

The demon shook his head.

"You want to say we are destined ot love each other?" Izaya asked in a tone so sarcastic it was obvious he didn´t believe it at all.

Shizuo was the same. "You must be joking."

But the demon shook his head.

"It might have taken longer at the usual pace of time, but the appearance of Kuntilanak hurried the bond along." He suddenly said confusing both of them just yet again.

"What does that woman have to do with this? And what hurried up what?" Izaya asked the demon.

Akem manah laughed.

"The thing is, being the vengeance moved woman she is, left by her lover after losing her child, she has only one weakness, and that is the bond of two people. Love. She can´t attack you, Izaya, as long as your destined is close to you." He pointed at Shizuo.

"You are kidding me." Shizuo frowned. "I hate that fucking flea, I think you seriously got something wrong here-"

"Shizuo, didn´t you notice how something was telling you that Izaya was in danger?" the blond paused, suddenly shutting up.

…

He couldn´t deny that.

Before.. when he carried Celty to Shinra- he knew there was something wrong with Izaya.

He didn´t know why, he didn't know what, he just knew it.

The raven stared at the blond who had fallen silent and frowned.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked disbelieving staring at the blond. "You don´t want to tell me you love me now, do you?" he joked, making Shizuo glare at him.

"Of course not-" he growled.

Suddenly Izaya paused, and looked back at the demon-

"Wait- you want to say as long as he-" he pointed at Shizuo surprised. "stays with me I am save?"

The demon hummed. "Not exactly, just staying in the same room, or touching won´t quite cover it. You have to stay close on a more spiritual level for it to really protect you." He said, just confusing both of them more.

"Huh?" the demon shrugged. "I will leave that to you, it´s not like I know that much about the topic. More importantly- if you want ot get rid of Kuntilanak you should act soon."

Izaya blinked. "Get rid of her? She disappeared already, didn´t she?"

"Today she disappeared because she simply coudn´t stay manifested in the real world for that long. But from now on she will return every night and try to kill you Izaya, and she won´t disappear until daybreak."

Izaya´s eyes widened and he shivered. "… that thing will come back..?" he mumbled.

"Unless-" the demon started. "-You are able to survive 3 nights. And every night draw one third of the seal the kids showed you on the floor. It´s a ritual that will force her back into the netherworld." He concluded.

"I just have to draw the seal on the floor?" he asked. The demon nodded. "Draw the seal, and the moment you finished the last line she will be forced to return. Just as any demon whose summoniong rituals you repeat after it had been summoned." The raven nodded.

"But what should I do meanwhile? She is going to be here the whole night, isn´t she? How can I avoid her? Or escape her?" the demon however just shook his head.

"Im sorry but, I don't really have a way of stopping her anymore, if I were you, I would try to establish your bond instead-" he glanced at the blond who was still eyeing the demon skeptical.

He could neither deny, nor accept what the skeleton said…

Suddenly Izaya blinked, the sun was rising and had blinded the raven for a second.

"Well then, I have to go." The demon announced, suddenly starting to fade, just as the woman had earlier.

"Wait- how am I supposed to-"

But the demon was already gone.

Frowning Izaya stared at the spot the demon had been at.

Fuck.

In what kind of mess had he gotten himself into…?

Shizuo stared at the raven.

Deepen the bond, huh?

What bond.

… but he couldn´t deny that something had been off for the past days…

He also couldn´t deny, that he was weirdly…. Worried? Well he couldn´t exactly deny it… he was..

He glanced at the raven once more.

"So… we have to stay together…?" Izaya stared at the blond, not believing he had really just asked that.

To be honest-

Shizuo didn´t even honestly hate the idea of living with Izaya for now that bad-

This freaking bond or whatever they were supposed to have sure messed his feelings up.

He knew the urge to kill Izaya had kind of tuned down a bit the past days.

He still hated him as fuck, but…

The raven was just about to ask the blond how stupid he was and that he would never do that, but-

….

He had to admit… he was scared.

He was really fucking scared right now.

That woman would return for sure.

If he right out refused the blond, then he would have to face it alone-

No way-

"My apartment." Shizuo suddenly mumbled. Izaya blinked. "I´m not going to stay in your stinking place if that´s what you think." Shizuo announced.

…

Well it´s not like Izaya hated the idea of living somewhere else, now that he knew what had been living in his apartment with him for so long…

… but with Shizuo?

…

He sighed, and after a while he nodded slowly.

It was the best option for now…

"But I will get my stuff, if that´s okay..." he didn´t even try to start a pointless discussion, and he was glad Shizuo didn´t make a scene either.

They had both seen these things, and they knew that this was not the time for that.

"..sure." It´s not like he minded if the raven took some stuff with him.

The raven stood up from the bed cautious…

Then he realized..

He had to go alone into his apartment-

He shook his head.

It was day now.

The demon said she would only appear at night.

…

"… guess I will go alone, right?" he suddenly mumbled aloud, without thinking making the blond look at him.

…

He took out a cigarette and lit it.

"Guess I could accompany you and keep watch you don´t take too much of your flea stuff-" he mumbled in the same quiet voice.

"….alright." Izaya mumbled.

Suddenly a laugh was heard next to them. Instantly they glared at the bestectactled who had watched them.

"Oh don´t mind me… have fun building the bond, lovebirds-" he joked, instantly earning a death glare from both.

"Okay, okay, I got it-" he tried holding back his laughter.

And so they left.

Shinra didn´t say anything more, neither did Shizuo nor Izaya.

And like that they left Shinra´s apartment.

Both caught up in their own thoughts.

He couldn´t really mean they were destined for each other, right? In the way Shinra and Celty were. He said belong to each other, yeah, maybe in terms of hate, as eternal enemies-

But love?

No way.

Izaya shook his head a little in disbelieve, the blond walking just next to him.

Thinking about what the hell he was supposed to do with a bond as well.

He hated the flea, he knew that, but…

Both didn´t know how to handle this kind of situation…

Especially Izaya, he didn´t know whether to spat insults at the blond because he seemed to believe this shit a bit, or to keep silent, because… what if it really was true after all?

But what would that mean?

He could never fall in something like love with the blond.

He hated him, he detested him, how…?

Finally they reached the apartment.

Silence filled the air for a while as Izaya stepped into the room, he sighed. The door was still broken.

Suddenly he frowned.

"Well this is weird." He mumbled.

The door to his bedroom was closed.

He knew it had been open before.

After all he had seen Akem manah in his room.

"What is?" Shizuo asked.

…

Carefully Izaya stepped towards it, twisted the door knob.

"This door was closed before." He mumbled. Opening it carefully.

Suddenly an incredible awefull smell greeted them.

Shizuo started coughing. "Oh god what is that?" he asked.

Izaya frowned, god that smell was aweful what the heck was in his room?

He opened the door completely- only to stumble back in shock.

".. what…" His eyes went wide. Shizuo looked at the raven, he hadn´t looked inside the room yet.

"What´s wrong?" he asked, stepping forward to look into the room-

His eyes widened-

He couldn´t believe it.

Izaya´s furniture had been destroyed and shoved to the right corner of the room.

And in the middle, on the white carpet floor, there was that secretarian-

Namie.

On the floor-

Dead.

He guts ripped out of her belly, her eyes googled out.

Her mouth opened for a silent scream.

The arms teared off and the legs dangling from the light in the room.

Her intestities- aligned on the floor.

Neatly.

To form just 6 words.

-I will get you too Izaya-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeppp this is it for now xD Just for those who thought the story would be over right away- hnnn no, not really xD it´s planned to be a little longer :3  
> It´s Shizayaaaa after all-! *^* What would this be if I wouldn´t get them together before the end xD It would be kind of a let down if the story was already over after catching up to just the prologue xD


	8. Love me hate me

-Shizuo´s point of view. In Izaya´s apartment.-

Shizuo´s eyes were glued to the dead woman in front of him. Or better, what was left of her-

Only barely he recognized her as the same secretarian, that he had met a few days before. She had been complaining about the flea if he remembered correctly. Told him to kill him off sooner because he didn't pay her. Frowning he looked at the message on the floor.

-I will get you too Izaya-

Just how gruesome could that demon be…?

He couldn´t tear his eyes from the sight- he still remembered it, barely, but surely he did. That face, of that woman, when she was leaning over Izaya and that jaw that had bend to double the usual width, revealing many, many long sharp teeth. It was a picture you would only know from a nightmare.

And now, that he looked at those wounds, or better, how Namie was teared apart, he could imagine very well how she did that.

He felt nauseous and took a step back. That woman she wanted to do that to Iza-

"Urgh-" a sound made Shizuo snap his head around, only to see Izaya slapping a hand before his mouth and dashing to the bathroom.

Izaya couldn´t take it. That sight, those intestines, sprawled around on the floor, when he imagined how that woman must have teared her… apart, and … god.. that smell-

Only barely he managed to reach the toilet before he threw up.

His knees were trembling as he crouched on the cold tiled floor.

He was shaking.

This- was what that demon intended to do to him- until now he had thought she only wanted to kill him off, wanted to kill him off with those cockroaches, as gruesome and disgusting that imagination was, it wasn´t near as bad as what she did to Namie.

He couldn´t help but imagine, that maybe… maybe she did all that, teared her apart, while… while she was still aliv-

He retched, throwing up once more at the imagination.

Shivering he squeezed his eyes shut. His whole body was trembling like a leaf in the wind and he just couldn´t stop the tremors. He was scared-!

Fuck he admitted it-!

He was scared okay?! That freaking woman had reached her goal he was scared of demons now, he believed in them- couldn´t she leave him alone?!

He rested his forhead on his arms. How freaking stupid he was.

How dumb- utterly idiotic-

Now he wished he had never followed those two, he wished he had never gone to the ritual, and he wished he had never made fun of that .. that thing.

"Izaya-"

Startled Izaya´s head snapped up when something touched his back. He hadn´t even notied the blond came inside.

A frown found its way onto his face and he turned around, slapping the hand away immediately.

"Don´t touch me-!" he croaked, but his voice as well as his whole body was shaking with fear.

She was gone for now, for now-

But what about the coming night!? What would happen!? What if she actually got him?!

For the first time in his life he was terrified.

He didn´t want to die, not yet, he didn´t want to die in such a way-

He didn´t want to die at all!

He didn´t want to get teared apart like.. like-

"Tch-" he tried to calm himself down, but the shaking wouldn´t stop.

Shizuo eyed the raven and even though he couldn´t explain it, he hated seeing Izaya like that.

-I will get you too Izaya- those were the words.

He couldn´t imagine how scared the raven had to be. That thing, if Shizuo had come a second later it would have already gotten Izaya- Izaya would be the one laying there-

It churned his stomach just to think about that possibility, and he couldn´t even imagine how Izaya had to feel right now. He was the one this message was directed at.

He was the one that would end up there next if they didn´t find a solution soon.

He saw the raven shivering, his all so perfect masks and smirks he always wore had slipped from his face completely.

Before Izaya could even do as much as react, the blond crouched down and trapped the raven in a loose hug.

To say the raven was surprised was a great underestimation. His eyes widened and he placed his hands against the blond´s chest instantly, in attempt to push him away-

He didn´t need any form of comfort, and definitely not from a brute like him!

But the moment he laid his hands on Shizuos chest he saw his own arms tremble. He hadn't even noticed he was shivering that bad until now. But now he did and he couldn´t stop it.

His whole body was tense with anxiety.

"It´s going to be okay Izaya." The blond suddenly mumbled frowning, surprising the raven even more.

"I will protect you. I won´t let that thing do to you what it did to that woman." He stated.

And he seriously meant it. As weird as it was, and as annoying as it was that he said that, he really wanted to do what he said.

Izaya snorted softly. "As if you could prevent that from happening." He mumbled bitterly, but refrained from pushing away the blond.

It was useless anyway, wasn´t it?

This time it was Shizuo´s time to be surprised when he suddenly felt the flea tilt forward, and lean his forehead against Shizuo´s shoulder.

".. just a bit…" it was barely above a whisper, but the blond had still caught the words.

If someone had asked Izaya at that moment, what he was doing, he probably couldn´t have given an answer to that question himself.

He knew the blond wouldn't be able to defeat a ghost. His whole strength wouldn´t help him one bit against an opponent, that just wasn´t touchable.

He knew he couldn´t do anything. And yet… he hated to say it, but it still calmed him a little when the blond said he would protect him.

Even if it made no sense, because Shizuo hated him and he couldn´t even do a thing anyway, it did.

He still hated him, he resented the brute, but for now… he just wanted to close his eyes and forget that all for a moment.

Forget the hate, forget the demon, forget his wounds that he inflicted himself, because they were hurting a damn lot.

He just wanted to put his mind at rest.

For just a second, he felt like a child that had a nightmare and just woke up from it.

Minutes passed, and neither said a word. Izaya didn´t spout any remarks to tease the blond and Shizuo didn´t push the flea away. He just let him be for a second until his shivers subsided.

A loud knock at the door was what roughly broke the silence.

Startled Izaya´s head snapped up, and while his heartbeat had calmed down a bit by now it instantly hit 180 again when he heard that knock.

Quickly Shizuo got up and stepped out of the bathroom, his sight shortly trailing back to the woman before going down to the apartment´s door.

Well, or better what was left of it.

The door was still ruined after all, and the knock had actually came from the door frame.

Izaya was following him with a little distance.

Who was standing in the doorframe, surprised both though. It was the police.

"Kinnosuke Kuzuhara is the name. We got a call from the apartment complex. A corpse has been found in this apartment is that correct?" One of the three guys asked Shizuo.

The blond nodded slowly, surprised how they even knew.

But his question was answered quickly when he took a look behind the men. A woman was standing there shivering. Judging from the fear in her eyes and how her glance constantly trailed to the raven´s bedroom, he could already guess that she was the one who had called.

"She is in the bedroom, up the stairs. We just discovered her a few minutes ago." Izaya suddenly mumbled quiet, making Shizuo look at him. The raven had his head tilted to the side, avoiding to even glance at his own bedroom and pointed at it with his left hand.

Instantly the police nodded and made their way up.

Shizuo wanted to ask that woman what else she might have seen when she got here, but one look from the blond towards the woman though was enough, and she quickly went down the hall. Seemed without the police right next to her she didn´t even want to stay close to that room.

Understandable.

Shizuo turned around, facing the raven instead.

But he was already grabbing his laptop and a little pile of clothes and tugged them into a small bag. Shizuo blinked- when had he-

"We should leave." Izaya suddenly mumbled quiet and grabbed the now closed bag. "They are only going to ask stupid questions." He stated and went out of the room. Shizuo followed after a second surprised.

It was weird… he was so calm.

All of a sudden that is. Or did he just pretend to be?

Slowly he walked after the raven, almost expecting him to say anything, about the police maybe or what he had to say once they asked them about the woman.

He didn´t know, just anything, maybe even something to tease him, but the raven just kept quiet. Somehow it annoyed him. Just everything about the flea annoyed him right now.

But still.

"Izaya, are you okay?" he asked when they stepped onto the streets of shinjuku.

Izaya flinched at the words, and something akin to a halfassed glare was thrown at Shizuo and the raven clicked his tongue.

"If I were you I would start memorizing my face now, because by tomorrow morning I won´t be recognizable anymore and you won´t get to see it again." he stated bitter, his lips tightening into a firm line and he sped up his steps annoyed.

He could almost imagine himself, eyes goggled out, just like Namie´s already.

"Stop that Izaya, it´s going to be okay, okay? That demon won´t get you, she-" but he didn´t even get to finish his sentence because the raven instantly stopped in his walk and turned around, interrupting his optimistic thinking.

"It will be over by tomorrow morning Shizuo! Don´t you get that?!" he yelled at the blond, furry and fear visible in his eyes. Curious bystanders were watching the raven yell, but to be completely honest, Izaya looked like he didn´t give a fuck about who watched him right now.

A frown carved it´s way onto Shizuo´s expression. "You don't know that. That Akem guy said that there is a way to-"

"Oh please-!" Izaya rolled his eyes theatratically and glared at the blond. "Do you seriously believe this fucking bond crap? That was a freaking joke Shizuo! He is the demon of evil intention for fucks sake." He spat, his words dripping like venom from his tongue. Seriously now, how could that blond be that stupid?!

"Why the hell would he of all living creatures in this universe tell us how to get away from that woman? There is just no way he would give us actual information, okay?!" he avoided his eyes and turned around again, storming away from the blond.

It was ridiculous. That brute was useless.

He said he would protect him, hah! How? How did he intend to when he was fixed on that bond idea of that demon?

Seriously, Izaya couldn´t believe Shizuo actually believed what he said. It was so far from anything rational, it had to be a joke.

Shizuo couldn´t help but frown at Izaya´s words as he followed him. He couldn´t deny them. He was right, the demon had said he was the demon of evil intention so what Izaya said, actually did sound like it could be true.. but still…

"What if he did tell us the truth after all?" Shizuo tried but it just made Izaya roll his eyes in annoyance.

Seriously. He gave up on the brute.

"Shizuo what he said is ridiculous. Or are you going to declare me your ever lasting love now?" he tried, glancing back at him once more as he pulled over a taxi, hoping that if he put it as simple as this even that idiot would understand.

The blond scowled and Izaya sighed at least a bit relieved that the blond seemed to get that much.

"See? All a big fat lie to raise false hope that never existed in the first place.." bitterly he slipped inside the car and gave the man the address. He wasn´t exactly keen on walking all the way to Ikebukuro. Since he had been running and of course basically stabbing his legs yesterday it was pretty much exhausting and painful to walk all the time.

He leaned onto the car window and looked outside when Shizuo entered the car as well.

By now the sun was long up.

Lots of people were strolling around busy on the streets. He was envious of them. They didn´t need to fear anything.

Most of them probably didn´t even believe in demon´s in the first place. Just as he did before.

He sighed and leaned back in the car seat.

At least the blond shut up for now.

He was tired.

Tired of this pointless discussion, and tired because he was simply exhausted. The past days had really been a toll on him.

He must have nodded off on their way to Ikebukuro, because it seemed to Izaya like no time at all had passed when the car halted again, and he realized they were there already.

Sighing he got out of the car and ruffled through his hair, throwing a glance at the blond.

But no.

Shizuo wasn´t talking to him yet. Instead he seemed to think about something.

Heh, maybe he finally realized I am right.

Why was he even so keen on that bond idea in the first place?

He got his bag and stepped up the stairs to Shizuo´s apartment and entered it as soon as the blond had unlocked the door.

It would only be good for them both if that brute finally realized he hung onto a false hope.

That however wasn´t what Shizuo was thinking about at all. He was still pretty keen on his idea that what the demon had said was right. After all, if he really was that evil, why didn´t he try to kill the flea too?

He was there. In Shinra´s apartment. If he were a demon and wanted to kill the flea, he would definitely not just talk to him and help him get rid of a demon.

Shizuo watched the raven as he entered his small apartment.

One question. One question really burned on his tongue by now.

Ever since the raven had said that he was so sure the bond didn´t exist.

"Then why am I here?" he ask it straight out, not even thinking about it once the door closed and the raven had sat down on the couch. He wouldn´t find an answer to that one on his own anyway.

Izaya looked at him rather confused.

"Huh?" Shizuo walked over picking up some cigarettes from his desk.

"If all this bond crap is bullshit like you said. Then me being here, or better you being in my apartment won´t help you a bit right? Means you can leave right?" Izaya froze when Shizuo said those words, and he opened his mouth for a no, only to close it again without any sound slipping from it.

He couldn´t deny it. He being here, at Shizuo´s place, or being close to the brute in general, didn´t help at all in keeping the demon away. He knew that from the beginning. But that wasn´t the reason why he had dragged the blond over to his apartment, and it certainly was not the reason he agreed to live in Shizuo´s home for now.

He just…

"Why are you here then?" Shizuo repeated again, the raven averted his gaze.

He didn´t want to be alone-

".. no reason.." Izaya mumbled. He knew the blond would most probably throw him out now. Of course.. if he had no reason to stay, then why should he keep living here…

He wanted the blond around.

Simply, because he was scared. He wanted company. He wanted someone who would be there… who could watch his back.

But he could never say that out aloud.

"…you can stay..." The words made Izaya snap up his head and look surprised at the blond.

"What?" he asked, not trusting his ears at the moment.

"You can stay." Shizuo said once more with a sigh. "Don´t make that face."

Shizuo didn´t know himself why he was saying what he said. Well not exactly. But opposite to Izaya.. he kind of believed that demon, or at least, that maybe he didn´t hate Izaya as much as he did before.

It was annoying that he did, but-

When he saw that woman next to Izaya. When he saw her trying to kill him, to do the same she did to that secretary, his blood just froze.

Izaya couldn´t die. No way.

He wanted to murder him his entire live, since he met him in school, but as weird as it sounded, he didn´t want him dead now.

He didn´t even want him to be that scared. He didn´t want him to be in danger.

He actually wanted to protect the flea. It had to be that freaking bond or whatever that messed with him, otherwise he couldn´t explain how his feelings for the flea changed so quickly.

Izaya was grimancing a bit at Shizuo´s words. What face was he making?

The blond looked at him as if he had looked him all through. Didn´t suit him at all-

"… suit yourself.." Izaya mumbled averting his gaze, making Shizuo smile just a little bit. He knew just how scared the raven was. And even with a brain as protozoic as his he knew that Izaya wanted all, but to be alone in this mess right now.

He would have never let Shizuo tug him close before in the bathroom if it were the opposite case.

Izaya sighed and let himself slump back on Shizuo´s couch. Honestly.

That brute just always confused the hell out of him.

He hated it. Why did he always have to be so unpredictable? First he talks about stupid bonds and how he believes that demon, something completely opposite to what Izaya thought, making him think that that protozoan didn´t get him at all, and then he did something like this, acting like he knew exactly what was going on on his mind.

He hated it.

Annoyed he rolled over closing his eyes in annoyance.

He was too tired for this bullshit.

"Tired?" Shizuo suddenly asked, making the raven crack one eye open again.

"Exhausted." He gave back, closing it again. Shizuo sat down on the couch, next to the flea making it creak softly.

"You should just sleep then." He suggested, but at the that the raven´s eyes cracked open again and he sat up.

"Ah, no. I´m not that tired." He suddenly said, confusing Shizuo.

"Huh? You just said you were exhausted. Just sleep already flea." He mumbled, lighting the cigarette he had pulled out of the packet before.

But the raven just laughed dryly, shaking his head.

Only then it clicked. The demon had said it before.

Izaya had slept, and dreamt something about cockroaches right? And then they were in.. in his body if he remembered correctly.

The flea was scared it would happen again.

"Sleep. I will keep watch." He said, making the raven look at him again.

"But…" he threw in, but Shizuo shook his head and blew out a puff of smoke.

"Just sleep, okay? Whatever this woman tries to do to you, I will wake you up or just beat the shit out of her right away when she appears." He stated. "So just sleep okay?" he said inhaling once more.

Izaya kept silent for a bit and Shizuo almost expected him to turn around and say he wouldn´t sleep yet again, but this time it seemed he accepted it.

"Where…?" he suddenly mumbled, making Shizuo look at him once more. He shrugged.

"You can have my bed." He pointed to the door to his bedroom. The raven rose an eyebrow suspicious.

"You are giving me your bed to contaminate it with my flea-ness? Is something wrong with you?" he half joked, but the blond just shrugged

"I don´t really care right now. But I would keep my mouth shut if I were you or I will change my mind." He threw in and leaned back on the sofa.

Izaya sighed and got up. He would have throw another remark at the blond, but to be honest, he was just too tired for that now. Seriously.

He couldn´t remember the last time he was too tired to tease someone. That shitty woman sure did a number on him.

Shizuo watched the raven as he got up and disappeared into his bedroom. He sighed and sprawled himself out on the couch.

This whole shit was getting too much for him too think about.

He freaking had Izaya inside his apartment and sent him to sleep in his bed. As much as he would have loved to deny it, it was freaking weird.

Five days ago, if he even had done as much as spotted the flea on his doorstep he would have kicked his ass all the way back to Shinjuku. He woudn´t have given a damn if someone was out to kill the louse.

Not at all. If anything he would have probably been grateful because he would have finally gotten his beloved peace. But no.

Now things were just so different it confused him.  
Even though it was himself who was actually the one acting weird.

Izaya was pretty much acting like the usual ass he was, well except the fact that it was pretty damn obvious how scared he was.

But he?

He couldn´t put a finger on this strange way he behaved towards the flea now.

He all of a sudden didn´t feel angry anymore at him!

For nothing! And that flea did so much shit in his life. He framed him, he made his life hell, he always forced him to use violence when he hated it so much- and yet!

All of a sudden he didn´t feel an urge to kill the louse when he saw him. The opposite.

If he had to put it in words he would have said it almost felt like he was with Shinra. He annoyed him too at times, but he didn´t want to kill him. He actually liked Shinra as a friend.

But that didn´t mean he liked Izaya.

No no no no- that was wrong. Sure, he didn´t want anything to happen to Izaya but…

…

He slumped back on the couch, frowning at the ceiling.

He would kill this freaking demon. Not the woman, but that Akem guy. Making him think so much about this stuff.

It was his fault wasn´t it? Wait no.. he just told them about that bond. If it existed.

Shizuo was by now pretty sure it did.

Then he would kill the woman. Easy.

If that woman was dead then maybe this freaking weird feeling would disappear and he could go back to hating the flea again.

"Tch annoying…" he growled, putting the cigarette out on the table while leaning on his ellbow for support.

He laid back onto the couch, his arms crossed beneath his head and just stared at the ceiling. Frowning.

Annoying.

"Annoying annoying annoying-" he hated it, he felt like he was being manipulated by someone else.

Just everything about the flea was suddenly so damn annoying. Even more than before, but in a different way.

He frowned and closed his eyes, trying to chase all this thinking away.

Just hate that louse again.

Think about everything he did.

And that he did. Everything, every single thing, that had ever angered Shizuo that the fea had done or somehow been involved with. He thought about it all.

All his friends that had somehow been involved or hurt because of him. All those dept collector trips to people that had trusted that flea and actually were only in debt now because of him.

Everyting.

Every single thing.

And yet…

"I wouldn´t sleep if I were you-" Suddenly Shizuo´s eyes snapped open and he shot up from his position.

If it hadn´t been for the fact that he had already seen Akem Manah before he would have probably gotten the shock of his life when he saw him sitting on the floor, grinning at Shizuo.

"What are you-" but Shizuo stopped midsentence, when his sight fell onto the window next to the door.

The sun was setting outside already-?!

Had he fallen asleep?! Instantly his head shot around to his bedroom´s door, about to move towards it, when he heard the demon speak once more-

"Don´t worry she isn´t here yet. You have about half an hour more." Shizuo turned around and looked at the demon, partly relieved, partly frowning.

"... What are you doing here already then?" he asked a little suspiscious. But the demon just laughed lowly at his question.

"I´m a far higher ranking demon than her. Please refrain from putting us on the same level. I can appear once the sun sets, she has to wait until its completely dark." He explained, getting up from the floor, and approached the blond.

"Hmmm~" he hummed approving as he stared at the blond with those white eyes of his.

"You don´t seem to be as opposed to it as he is." He declared, a grin forming on his skeleton mouth. Shizuo frowned, shuffling a little away from that thing.

He wasn´t exactly scared from that Akem guy, but he sure wasn´t a nice sight to look at.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" he asked confused.

"The bond of course. You know it don´t you?" the demon just grinned, making Shizuo frown all the more.

Okay, he definitely didn´t need that guy here now when all he was trying was to hate the flea again like he did before.

"…just leave me alone." He mumbled annoyed and let himself fall back on the couch once more.

"You have already realized it though, don´t you?" the demon digged further, causing the blond to cringe.

"What? That I love the flea? No way." He replied.

That was true, he didn´t think he loved the flea. That was just entirely wrong to think about. Sure, he may not hate him anymore, and strangely wanted to protect him, but that wasn´t anywhere close to love.

"You have this weird feeling about protecting that guy, no?" Akem manah asked once more, his grin never fading from his face.

Shizuo frowned, just like the flea, it crossed his mind for a second.

He did say he liked Izaya because he was similar to himself. Heh, the demon of evil intention, sure seemed to suit Izaya´s image.

"… I have, but that doesn´t make me love him, are we clear?" he tried again, but that guy just didn´t leave him alone.

"You feel like he is close to you in a sense, no?" he asked this time.

"… so what?" he growled. He wasn´t about to discuss with that demon what he was thinking about all day.

"See, you keep complaining, yet you are not denying anything." He suddenly laughed, his skeleton frame shaking and clattering amused.

"So you want to tell me I love him? Sorry but I don´t-" Shizuo growled annoyed.

"Hmm you don´t seem to believe that yourself though." The demon commented, making the blond just deepen his frown.

".. huh?! Why would I?!" he glared at the guy.

"Because of the bond. You were destined for each other. Sooner or later you would have fallen in love with each other, the reasons I don't know. You noticed it already, don't keep denying it to me. I can see your aura and it tells me clearly that you don't hate that kid."

That made Shizuo´s eyes go wide.

"Huh? What can you see?" he asked confused.

"You love that Izaya. Stop denying already, even a demon like me gets annoyed from stubbornness like yours you know." He commented chuckling, obviously amused by how he played around with the blond.

Shizuo frowned. As if, that demon was just playing around with him. This was just a game for him.

"And how the fuck would you know that huh? Can you look inside my head and read it there or what?" he asked growling.

"What would you say if I said I could?"

Okay that shut the blond up for good for a second.

He could read in his head that he loved the flea…? No way. The flea was annoying.

He didn´t-

…

Did he?

Suddenly the demon laughed loudly again, making Shizuo frown once more.

"That expression is the best. I can´t actually read it, but seeing how you started actually thinking about it, it really seems to be true. Honestly, humans are easy creatures. So easy to manipulate." Shizuo growled and got up, trying to punch the guy in his stupid face, but of course he hit nothing but air, making the demon laugh even more.

"Sorry but that won´t work with demons." He grinned, but then turned around, a more serious expression on his face.

"If I were you, I would act soon." He started speaking again, the sun was almost down, "He is childish, he is stubborn, he won´t accept his own feelings just as you don´t accept yours but in his case that could mean his death you know."

"Wait his feelings? What are you talking abut, he clearly hates me." He suddenly asked confused.

"That´s what you think. And maybe even he thinks that way, but he doesn´t." the demon shrugged, but to Shizuo what he said just confused him even more.

"What do you mean?" The demon just grinned.

"Just try it. Like me just now. Get him thinking. And don´t forget to draw the circle."

Suddenly the door to the bedroom flew open and a rather dishelved Izaya stormed out of it hectically.

"Shizuo! Why didn´t you wake me?! Its night!" he yelled confused, only to freeze when he spot the demon standing there.

The demon just grinned at how shocked the raven seemed to see him, and glanced at Shizuo before addressing the flea.

"Izaya, do you love him yet?" he simply asked, and with that he disappeared, the grin neatly in place.

...

Great, now Shizuo was even more confused.

"…what the hell was that-?" Izaya frowned, glaring at the spot where the demon had been standing at.

Did he love the blond?! What kind of stupid question was that?!

"Is he still talking about that bond crap?" Izaya asked annoyed. He couldn´t believe he was still giving Shizuo bullshit about that stuff.

But Shizuo just stayed silent making Izaya look at him.

"Are you freaking believing that asshole?!" he suddenly spat, malice in his eyes.

The blond glanced at him and just shrugged.

"Maybe-" Shizuo couldn´t even say more, before an angry snarl interrupted him.

"Why the hell are you listening to him?!" Izaya asked angry, "What he is saying is bullshit!"

He couldn´t believe the blond still believed that crap!

"Sounds like it could be true to me though." Shizuo growled. Couldn´t that louse just shut up for once?

"Are you freaking serious?! He is saying that we should love each other, did your stupid brain even get that part about this stupid bond crap?!" Shizuo frowned and glared at the other.

"Shut up Izaya-" he growled dangerously but the raven didn´t even think aout doing that anytime soon. He was so fucking pissed-

"The hell I am! Shizuo what he is saying is a joke! I hate you okay?! I have always hated you and I will always hate you!"

"Izaya shut up!" Shizuo rose his voice, almost yelling at the raven, but he still didn´t stop his rant.

"What?! Don´t tell me you believe it because you suddenly love me huh?! You want to tell me you all of a sudden developed feelings for me?! Don't fucking kid me I hate you Shizuo! I HATE YO-" but the raven didn´t get to say more, because suddenly there was a hand at his throat and he felt himself roughly pushed backwards into the wall.

He gasped when it hit the back of his head and gripped the arm that was gripping at him.

"CAN YOU JUST SHUT THE HELL UP FOR ONCE?!" Izaya flinched at the sudden loudness of Shizuo´s voice- and saw the blond glaring a him, a fist just about to aim at his face and he sqeezed his eyes shut.

Preparing for the hit that was surely going to connect with his face-

CRASH

But the fist didn´t hit his face- instead it hit the wall beside him-

And then his eyes snapped wide open-

There were lips pressed against his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUNN end of this chapter xDDD  
> ~ No scary part today xD But I figured after tearing Namie´s guts out it would be a nice change xD  
> I hope chu liked it *^* hehe~ Cx I couldn't withstand the temptation to make them kiss already xDD Bet you wonder how Izaya will react to that xD  
> And hey it's the bond´s fault~ ;3 xDD Well then~ this story will be over pretty soon xD  
> It´s not long until the end anymore hehe only hmmmmm~ 2? more chapters xD  
> Oh oh and just sayingggg-! After "After sunset" ends, I will be continuing the story "The wish to disappear." Cx like I promised xDD


	9. Fear and realization

\- Izaya´s point of view. In his apartment. The sun has set. 20 minutes until Kuntilanak´s appearance.-

For a second he was just frozen.

His eyes widened and he stared disbelieving at the blond in front of him.

He had expectd a punch, with his fist into his face. Of course, how could he not? This was Shizuo after all, and for once he really had him in a position where he would succeed in hitting him.

A nice blue eye like he had gotten it from Simon that was what he honestly expected- but what the hell was this-?!

Finally coming back to his senses he pushed the blond away hard, a glare settling on his eyes.

"What the fuck are you doing-?!" he spat, frowning at the blond as he wiped his lips with his right arm´s sleeve.

The blond´s brows knitted into a furrow, but he didn´t seem angry or anything whatsoever. More like annoyed. What the hell was he annoyed for?

What did he even expect him to do?

Why did he even kiss him in the first place?!

"Izaya I actually think that demon might be right." Izaya thoughts dropped at that statement and for a second he just blinked and stared at the blond.

… huh?

But then it made sense.

He had done it because of that bond shit right?!

He just didn´t get it, how could that protozoan just believe the bullshit that demon had told him?!

How could he go as far as to kiss him to make him believe it was true?!

"… so you love me now or what?! Is that what you want to say, huh?!" he yelled at the debt collector, furious for his damn stupidity, if he tried to make Izaya believe this, then he would have to believe this whole stuff himself first.

And Izaya heavily doubted that Shizuo would love him now all of a sudden.

Maybe not hate anymore as much as he did, that, he would maybe accept, since he was acting a little strange the past days. Saving him, not beating him up when he was sick, etc, but love?!

As if-!

Of all the things that he did not know about Shizuo, or that were unpredictable, he knew one thing for sure.

This brute did not love him!

He hated him! He always had ever since that day they met for the very first time in highschool. It had been his very first words that came out of his mouth-!

So-

"Maybe."

"Exactly. May-" he paused and just gaped at the blond, his mouth opening and closing again, without a sound leaving.

Did he just say what he tought he did?!

"Are you fucking serious?!" he asked, his glare hardening as his words dripped like venom from his lips.

But the blond didn´t answer.

"Tch- you are freaking crazy you know that-!" he yelled.

How could he let himself be manipulated to that degree?!

"Crazy!" He shoved the blond away and walked over to Shizuo´s bedroom door.

"That demon is wrong Shizu-chan get that through your fucking head-!" he was sick of constantly telling that stupid protozoan that the demon had to be lying.

"Wrong!" And with those last words he stepped inside Shizuo´s bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Shizuo flinched slightly at the loud sound, and sighed.

… well… this did not quite turn out like he expected it to do.

… not that he had any plan but..

The demon said to just test things out right?

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

But okay… actually kissing that flea was probably a bit rash to try when he knew the flea still hated him.

"Oi." He mumbled, turning around to face the spot Akem Manah had been standing at.

"Your plan backfired." He commented, even though nothing was visible. But he just knew that guy was still here.

Why? He didn´t even know. He just had a feeling.

"How did you know I am here?" a voice suddenly asked, and really, the demon appeared on exactly the spot he had disappeared before.

Shizuo just glanced at the demon and let himself drop onto the couch.

"I didn´t know. But in a weird sense you remind me of the louse, and he would stay to see how his things turned out." He shrugged.

A grin flashed over Akem manah´s face, for just a single second and his skeleton jaw clattered as he laughed.

"Heh, I was wrong. You might even be smarter than that human." He grinned.

-Izaya´s point of view. Inside Shizuo´s bedroom.-

Angry Izaya stomped into the room.

He couldn´t believe it.

That the blond would do something like this, just to try and prove to Izaya that the demon was right!

What the hell? He knew Shizuo was one stubborn protozoan, but to that degree?

Annoyed he wiped with his sleeve over his mouth.

What the hell did that blond even think he was doing?!

He freaking kissed him-!

Kissed okay?

He could still feel those lips touch his own.

He hated that brute, he hated him-!

Why did he do that?

Tch, seriously, why did he do that…?

Why did he say 'maybe'?

This was actually the thing that confused him the most. It irritated him even more than the kiss.

With a protozoic brain like Shizuo´s, he could even kind of understand the fact, that he would kiss him just to make a point, because he was just that stubborn.

He wouldn´t have been chasing him through Ikebukuro and Shinjuku since highschool, if that weren´t the case.

But what the hell did he mean with that 'maybe'?

It didn't make sense.

Izaya didn´t believe that anything, anything in this world could make Shizuo say something like that to him.

So what the hell did he mean? Was he going crazy and starting to think he might actually love him?

"Tch-" annoyed Izaya let himself slump down on Shizuo´s bed.

He still couldn´t believe he just did that.

That was his freaking first kiss.

Not that he was saving it for anyone but still.

The first person to kiss him ever, had to be Shizu-chan?

What the hell, this had to be a bad joke.

-Shizuo´s point of view. In the living room.-

"What do you mean?" Shizuo tilted his head as he looked at the demon in front of him.

But the demon just grinned to himself and stopped laughing.

"Oh, nothing. Don´t mind my words. But you know, if I were you, I would start now." He pointed to the floor, only making Shizuo blink confused at him.

"Huh?"

The demon siddled over to the spot he pointed on and let two chalk sticks fall to the floor, together with a tiny piece of paper.

"The seal. You have to draw it in three times nights. And since Kuntilanak is going to be here soon, I think you should start now." He explained, making Shizuo blink as he remembered the demon´s words.

"…right.." he mumbled, a frown settling on his eyebrows and walked over to the spot.

The fact that this woman was going to appear soon again didn´t sit well with him at all.

He didn´t want the flea to be the center of her target again-

Sighing he let himself drop down to the floor into a sitting position and took the tiny piece of paper. A seal was neatly drawn on the backside of the paper.

"This is what you have to draw. Start with the inner ring." The demon instructed and chuckled one last time. "I will be returning once that woman disappears." Were the last words he spoke, before dissipating into thin air.

Shizuo frowned a little, looking around. But this time the demon was gone for good.

It might sound stupid, but he felt more comfortable with that demon around than not.

It wasn´t like he completely trusted that demon after all. Just to a certain degree, and that only because he knew what he had said was true.

But not anything farther than that.

Sighing he looked at the seal, and started drawing on the floor. Shortly his glance fell back to his bedroom door.

Izaya was still in there right? And probably freaking out because he kissed him. He had to be, because if he were not, Shizuo was pretty damn sure he would stick close to him.

It was getting dark after all.

And once that woman appeared…

Feeling uneasy Shizuo´s hand stopped in the middle of drawing.

The demon said that woman would only appear after the sun completely set, right?

He looked out of the window.

…it was pretty close to being almost completely set.

What if she appeared a little sooner?

Suddenly feeling anxious he stood up from the floor quickly and moved over to his bedroom.

The image of Izaya maybe already having been killed and laying there in his bedroom, like that secretarian did, quickly flashed through his mind.

He opened the door-

"Oi Iza-" and paused midsentence, sighing relieved. The raven was still in there.

He had instantly glared at him and even grabbed a knife to aim at him.

He wasn´t laying torn up on the floor.

Wait, wasn´t that one of his kitchen knives?

"What do you want?" Izaya spat, obviously still very angry for what he did before.

But Shizuo was more concerned about something different.

"Nothing… it´s just, the sun is setting you know."

That sentence was all that was needed for Izaya´s anger to disappear instantly and make his eyes go wide with fear instead.

He wiped his head around, anxiously eyeing his surroundings, before letting his eyes lock onto the window.

"She will appear again soon, won´t she…?" he suddenly asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Shizuo frowned a little and looked around as well.

The anxiety of the flea was infectous.

"I don't know, but you should-" he didn´t get to finish his sentence.

Suddenly a loud noise was to be heard and-

*ZING*

It was completely dark in the room.

A power shortage-

Before Shizuo could even react or finish his sentence, there was a raven on his arm, clingling tightly to him.

"Shizuo..?" He didn´t even need to ask what the raven was doing when the shaking whisper reached his ears. He was trembling, just like he did after he found that secretarian in his bedroom.

He was scared shitless. Sighing Shizuo wrapped his arms around the raven, making him flinch slightly.

"It´s me don´t worry. It´s probably… just a power shortage." He answered quiet, trying to calm the flea down a bit. After all, although just barely, he could still see some light outside.

She could only appear once the sun completely set. Though… that was probably really soon.

"That´s what you say-" Izaya whispered quietly into the dark. "What if she is…. Already there? Staring at us from the dark…?" he mumbled, not exactly making Shizuo feel better in this very dark room.

He couldn´t see anything in here. Izaya might as well be right.

"Izaya it´s-" but the raven wasn´t going to let him finish his sentence.

"Shut up-!" Shizuo blinked at the harsh answer, but sighed, holding the flea a closer.

Izaya knew what the blond would be saying again. The same words that he said after they found Namie.

That it was going to be 'alright'. As if-!

A freaking demon was after them with the only goal to murder them in the most cruel way-!

There was no way this was going to be alright-!

Shizuo frowned a little. He still could see nothing in the dark, only feel the raven shiver against his chest and that was probably not the best way to remain waiting, if that insane demon was going to appear soon.

"… its gonna be alright…" he tried soothing the raven while hoping that the lights would turn on soon again.

"That´s what you say. We can´t even see anything, she could be here already and-" Izaya swallowed, and tightened his grip on the blond. At the imagination that she was already staring at them, maybe right behind him… he shivered.

"Izaya, its going to be okay." Izaya glared into darkness at that half assed response.

"Nothing is gonna be okay Shizuo! Because-" he was going to yell at the blond, tell him how wrong he was, how stupid, but suddenly he froze midsentence.

In fact both did, when they heard something move in this room.

And it was not any of the two that had made the sound.

Shizuo´s eyes darted around, trying to find something, anything to see in the room.

But it was way too dark, all he could make out was black.

… was… was that woman already here…?

He took a step backwards, instantly feeling the raven cling harder onto him.

"Izaya, we should get out of here." He whispered quiet. The raven just nodded, his hands still trembling against the blond´s shirt.

He was too scared to open his mouth. He was too scared to make any sound at all.

His throat felt like it was being squeezed shut.

Only slowly Shizuo moved backwards to the cupboard in his room.

There was something.

He didn´t see it, he didn´t hear it, but he just knew she was here.

And suddenly the lights went on again-

Shizuo froze and his eyes widened shocked when he found himself looking right into the woman´s teeth covered, widened throat-

"Izaya-!" within a second he tugged harshly at Izaya´s wrist and stepped aside-

Just in time before the woman´s jaw came crushing down, trying to eat Izaya as a whole as it seemed-

A low growl was heard from the woman and the raven stared shocked at the demon in front of him. She had been about to bite him, or eat him or what the fuck did she even intend to do to him?!

He shivered, and took a step backwards, only to be pulled harshly on his wrist once more.

Barely he managed to turn around and not stumble over his own feet when the blond pulled him after.

"RUN!" the blond yelled at the raven, and finally it clicked. Shizuo bust the door open and stormed down the stairs, Izaya following close, before hearing the woman scream from the apartment and dash after them.

He didn´t turn around or looked over his shoulder for a second.

That woman was just behind them- right behind them! She would get them if they weren´t fast enough!

They both ran as fast as they could through Ikebukuro, through various alleys and streets and around multiple corners.

Izaya felt like his heart was beating right out of his chest, anxiety driving them both to run even faster than usual. Both their lungs burnt for air, but they didn´t stop.

And again there were no people.

The city suddenly seemed to be empty.

As if the demon had made sure that no one could interrupt.

Panting they stopped for a second in an alley.

The screams had stopped and they had been running for quite a while.

Anxious their eyes darted around to make sure that woman wasn´t just playing with them and already waiting. But for now it really looked like they were alone in the alley.

"You think she will find us if we hide?" Izaya suddenly mumbled quiet. Shizuo panted and glanced at the raven.

He was still holding his hand. He could feel the trembles that still shook the raven as he looked around hasty.

"I don´t know, but-"

And suddenly there was a whine, only quiet. Really quiet.

Shizuo´s eyes widened and he turned around.

There she was.

At the end of the alley, tilting her head to the side and stared at them from her empty sockets.

Cockroaches were gathering at her feet and she grinned crazily.

"Found you~"

Izaya´s eyes widened and he stumbled backwards, only for his back to hit the wall of the house.

And then he screamed-

Shizuo swirled around, looking away from the demon, when he spotted it.

Black shadows mixed with cockroaches were crawling on the wall and pulled Izaya inside-

"Izaya!" Shizuo pulled at Izaya´s wrists, trying to tug him out of those shadows, but they wouldn´t let go, they just dragged him inside further.

"Shizuo-!" Izaya squeezed his eyes shut, and tried to get away from the shadows, but it was useless, the woman laughed at the end of the alley.

"Izaya-!"Shizuo tried to pull again, but- no chance-!

"Shizuo-! Don't let go-!" Panicking Izaya tried to hold onto the blond, the shadows were starting to devour his lower half.

"Don´t let go-!" they were crawling up his chest towards his face-

"Don´t le-"

And suddenly it went dark.

Dark.

Just black.

"Shizuo?!"

Izaya blinked.

He couldn´t see anything!

His hands were empty, he was just standing in a black room. He gulped.

Where was Shizuo?

Where was he?

Where was that demon-?!

"Shizuo?!" he cried, shivering, hoping for the blond to answer, to maybe be there, to-

"Shiz-.." and suddenly he froze.

It was so dark.

But suddenly he could see… something.

…

There was something… there was something he knew it-

Just in front of him. A few meters ahead.. something was lurking on the floor, staring at him.

.. there was something watching him.

It was so dark.

So dark.

"Ah-!" he screamed when suddenly something touched his back and swirled around.

But there was nothing, there was-

He turned around again, eyes wide- Where did that thing go..?!

Shivering he pulled out his knife and held it securely in front of him. Swirling around quickly.

What was there?!

"Izaya….." his eyes went wide and he swirled around once more.

"Who is there?!" he asked, trying to sound not affected, but his voice was shaking with each word.

"I…za…ya…"

And suddenly there was light-

Way too much light. Izaya squeezed his eyes shut, overwhelmed by the sudden change in his surroundings.

He blinked, trying to see what was in front of him.

But when he did, he wished he had never looked.

His eyes widening he stumbled back, away from.. from that…

"What.."

"Izzzaayaaaaaaaa…"

What the hell was that?!

Feeling nauseous he tried ot pry his eyes off the sight in front of him. It looked like a human. A rotten human. Cockroached were crawling all over, and inside his body.

He was torn apart… his insides, slowly being dragged after him as he crawled towards the raven.

Just like Namie…

And he was calling his name.

"Izayaaaa…. You… you are next…" Izaya blinked and he crawled backwards, away from the creature.

"What do you mean I´m next?" he asked, his voice very soft and suddenly-

The lights went out again.

Izaya flinched at the sudden darkness and swirled his knife around once more.

And suddenly there was a tug at his wrist.

A scream tore from his lips and he tore his arm away, slashing whatever had grabbed him, only to receive a high pitched shriek.

It was the man.

It was the rotting corpse-

Disgusted Izaya stepped away from him-

"Stay away-!" he yelled, slowly moving backwards, only for his back to hit something else.

He swirled around once more, trying to make out what it was and stared right into two black sockets.

But not those of the woman.

It was another corpse, a standing one.

It could still walk, but it was rotting away as well.

Surprised Izaya stumbled back, falling down to the floor and stared at the thing in front of him.

"Iza..ya…" the corpse suddenly grinned and moved towards him.

"Give me your flesh- give me your life-"

Izaya´s eyes widened.

"What…?"

"Your fleshhh…" And suddenly he heard more voices. Panicking he looked around only to notice more and more of these corpses crawling out of the shadows.

"Your lifeee.." suddenly the corpse tried to bite him, Izaya tugged his arm away and crawled backwards, trying to get away from those things, trying to get away, but-

"Izaya…." They were behind him as well! They were left, they were right, they were behind him in front of him- they had surrounded him-!

And they moved-! They moved all towards him!

"Izayaaaa… Izayaaa…"

"Stay away-!" Izaya cried, aimlessly swinging his knife around, trying to slash one of the corpses, but it didn´t even flinch at the cut. The opposite, way quicker than Izaya had thought was possible for the corpse, its hand shot forward and gripped Izaya´s wrist, biting down on it hard.

"NO-! Let go-!" Izaya yelled, trying to get the damn thing off- He tried to hit it, he tried to get it off, but it just bit down harder- blood dripping down his wrist-

And suddenly there were the others, they were biting him too-!

They were going to eat him alive-!

"Stop-! STOP" And then there were the cockroaches-

Izaya´s eyes widened when the sound of thousands of little legs tripling along the white floor reached his ears.

He glanced to the side only to see them. Those little creatures of hell, all those black cockroaches approach him from afar.

"No!" he screamed, panicking, trying to tear himself away from those corpses, trying to get away- but-

"NO!" they were already there-!

Almost almost-!

They were about to touch him! They would crawl into his skin again!

They would eat away at him from inside, they would-!

"Shizuo-!"

-Shizuo´s point of view. Outside in the alley.-

He couldn´t pull him out-!

He was still holding the raven´s wrist and pulling, trying to get him out again-! But the shadows were just getting more and more!

"Tch damn-!" he swore, glaring at the woman at the end of the alley.

"Leave him alone-!" he yelled, only to try pull the raven out of these black shadows again-

The moment they had covered his head, he had stopped moving. He didn´t know what had happened, he didn´t know why the raven was suddenly not moving anymore.

He didn´t even know if the raven was dead or not-!

He didn´t even know what was happening to him inside there!

"Izaya! Can you hear me?!" He screamed, trying to get through to the raven, but with no success, the raven was still not moving.

"Izaya! Tch-!" he let go of Izaya´s left wrist, wrapping both his hands around his right instead and tried to pull harder.

"Izaya-!" the left hand disappeared into the darkness.

"Iza-!" Suddenly the blond blinked.

He had wrapped both his hands around Izaya´s wrist, but that wasn´t what made him stop.

The second he wrapped his hands around the raven´s hand, the part that he touched that was already covered in shadows, suddenly got freed.

Instinctively he grabbed forward, right into the shadows, only to see them move away from his hand-

"What-"

-Izaya´s point of view-

Trembling he had squeezed his eyes shut. He didn´t want those critters inside him, but he had no option to flee, he didn´t know what to do.

He couldn't do anything. Just… just not inside again…

Just-

Suddenly he paused in his thoughts.

His arms, his legs- he felt to light all of a sudden-

His eyes snapped back open again and he looked around.

…

They were gone.

Panicking he turned around. It couldn´t be that they were just gone. No way.

That woman wanted to kill him.

If she had really let him go then for the sole reason, that she wanted to kill him himself, meaning she was already there, meaning she was definitely somewhere in here-!

But he turned around, and looked at his surroundings, only to see nothing.

There was no one there.

Neither those corpses, nor that demon.

And suddenly something touched his back-

"Ah-!" his eyes widened and he jumped around in surprise, thinking that now, now that demon or one of those things got him-

Only to find the one thing here, that he did not expect to see.

"Izaya, we have to get out of here-!" he couldn´t believe his eyes. Did that stupid brute save him from the corpses or something? He didn´t know, he didn´t have a clue. But he would be lying if he said that he wasn´t immensely relieved to see the protozoan.

"Shizuo…" Before he even knew what he was doing he found himself leaning onto the blond´s shoulders, squeezing his eyes shut once more.

Softly he rested his hands on the blond´s chest in an attempt to find comfort.

"Shizuo there were so many dead people." He started to mumble, rolling his hands to a tiny fist, his voice shaking a bit as he touched the wet chest.

"They were dead.. but they were coming closer, and… and there were cockroaches… and-"

"Iz…a…ya.." wait, wet-?

Confused Izaya opened his eyes again and opened his palm, glancing at his hand.

Red.

There was red-

Blood.

Blood?

His eyes darted back to the spot he had been touching and they widened. Blood, there was so much blood coming from there.

No shizuo-!

"What did you do you protozoan!?" he cried, instantly pressing his ahnds against the bleeding spot.

"How did you get so badly injured?! What happened?!" Panicking a bit he tried to stop the bleeding with just it hands, but it only got more, and more and more.

"NO, no- we have to get you patched up, we have to-"

"Izaya-kun~" and suddenly his eyes widened- He knew that voice- he knew it..

That was-

Anxious his eyes darted around and he glanced over his shoulder.

Where?!

Where was she?!

But she was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly he flinched, something cool touched the palm of his hand.

His eyes widened and he looked at Shizuo´s wound.

There was something silver.

Something sharp.

And then it went to fast for the raven to comprehend.

Suddenly Shizuo´s chest got teared open from inside-

Blood dripped down, intestines fell to the floor and in the middle of it she was staring at him.

No…

Only slowly she tilted her head, cockroaches quickly crawling out of her empty sockets as she started to giggle.

No…

"Now you are alone~ I~za~ya~kun~" she grinned disgustingly, her long tongue dropping out of her mouth and before Izaya coud even react it had shot forward like a toads tongue and wrapped around his neck.

She killed.. she killed Shizuo…

"Delicious~"

No-

-Shizuo´s point of view-

"Izaya-!" Without even thinking another second, he reached inside the black shadows and grabbed the raven at the hem of his shirt.

The shadows retreated with a sort of hiss, and really, he pulled the raven out in one go-

Without even waiting a second the moment he got Izaya out of the shadows, he just grabbed the raven´s wrist once more, and dashed away.

The woman was glaring and screaming furious, following them instantly but Shizuo ran, he pulled the raven after, not even yelling at him to go faster-

He just ran, and ran, and ran.

They turned around various corners, ran for their life, the woman getting farther and farther away from them but then-

"FUCK-!" Shizuo couldn´t believe his eyes when he stopped dead track in the middle of an alley.

The alley.

Was a dead end.

Panicking slightly he turned around, only to face the grinning woman, standing there at the entrance of it.

Without even wasting a single second he instinctively pulled the raven close.

She wasn´t going to get him again-

She wasn´t going to dag him into those shadows-

Not as long as he was here.

And suddenly the woman stopped. A frown appeared on her face and she glared at the two.

"You got away tonight…" she hissed silent, and suddenly Shizuo noticed cockroaches, lots of cockroaches.

They were all crawling towards her and disappeared in her empty eye sockets.

"But tomorrow you won´t be as lucky." She ended, before suddenly disappearing into thin air.

Shizuo blinked, and hasty looked around. Almost expecting for the woman to turn up somewhere else, behind him or next to him, but no-

Was she gone?

He couldn´t believe it, night wasn´t anywhere near over-

But then he paused for a second in his thoughts- the night before, didn´t she suddenly disappear too? Way before the night was over?

Suddenly something akin to a smile flashed over his face.

"Izaya, she is go-" but the expression he saw on Izaya´s face made him halt midsentence.

He was crying.

Surprised Shizuo looked at the usually so cocky flea. He was crying.

No doubt.

Tears were starting to drop down his cheeks and he tried to hold back a hiccup.

"…Izaya…." Shizuo tried, but he didn´t know what to say at all.

He didn´t even know why the raven was crying in the first place.

He was just shaking, and he didn´t say anthing at all.

"Oi.. " tentatively he reached out his hands, softly rubbing Izaya´s upper arms in a comforting manner.

"It´s over. It´s over for tonight Izaya." He tried, hoping that maybe, it would at least make the raven stop shivering like a leaf, but the tears didn´t stop.

He didn´t say a word.

"Izaya…?" Shizuo tried once more, but the raven just stood there, basically sobbing, not getting a single word out.

"… hey.. you are safe…" and with those words he wrapped his arms around the flea and tugged him close, hugging him tight.

"It´s okay now." He tried soothing the raven with his words.

"… did that woman do anything to you..?" he asked quiet. He didn´t know what to do. The flea was completely unresponsive.

He wasn´t saying a single thing. He wasn´t even shoving him away.

Almost the opposite, he seemed to lean into his hug. What happened to the flea? What did that woman do to him while he was inside those shadows?

"…Izaya-"

"..I saw so many things.." Shizuo shut up instantly when he heard the raven speak.

Izaya swallowed audibly and Shizuo felt the flea hug him back tight.

"Dead corpses.. they were trying to eat me alive…" he started to whisper.

Dead corpses…?

And suddenly for some reason the image of Namie flashed through Shizuo´s mind. What did Izaya see inside there…?

"We will die Shizu-chan. We aren´t going to survive this Shizu-chan." Izaya suddenly sobbed, wet, hot tears soaking his shirt. Shizuo hugged him tighter.

"We?"

"She wants to kill you too-" Izaya hiccuped, the tears flowing relentlessly now.

"I saw it. she ripped out your guts- She-" shivers were rupturing through the raven´s body.

"Izaya, clam down, we are going to be okay." Shizuo tried, nuzzling into the raven´s shoulder, but Izaya shook his head.

"She murdered you Shizu-chan-" he suddenly whispered, almost too quiet for Shizuo to hear.

"That shouldn´t bother you too much now, should it?" he joked, trying to cheer the raven up a bit, but Izaya froze.

"No." he whispered.

"Eh?"

"I don't want you dead-" the grip on Shizuo´s shirt tightened.

"I don't even know why so don´t ask okay?" Izaya´s voice was shaking.

"Yesterday, yesterday I would have still freaking laughed when I had seen you dead okay?" the tears got more and more.

"But…" he faded out. Softly he tightened the hug on Shizuo.

"When I saw her kill you…" he mumbled.

"You were dead… I thought you were dead… I just…" he hiccupped, ad wiped furiously at his eyes.

Shizuo just stayed silent, he couldn´t believe what the raven was saying.

"I don't want you to die okay. So watch out that the demon doesn´t get you too." Izaya suddenly cried, looking straight at him.

Shizuo couldn´t believe what the flea was asking of him.

"…she won´t get me, I´m sure-" he tried to answer, to calm the flea somehow, but he got interrupted midsentence.

"No don´t be sure! She is going to rip you apart, okay!? It´s going to do the same things to you that she did to Namie, it-" he hiccupped, trying to stop the tears.

"Izaya calm down." Shizuo tried, but the raven didn´t even look at him. Instead he squeezed his eyes shut.

He could still remember it.

He didn´t even know why he was feeling that, but when that demon tore Shizuo apart in that … nightmare… or whatever she created with the shadows-

He just…

He just-

"NO! Shizuo! You aren´t listening!" he cried, hammering with his fists against Shizuo´s chest.

"She will kill you!" he yelled.

"Izaya, she won´t-"

"She will get you! I´m sure she will! She showed me! Tomorrow night she will get you if you aren´t careful!" he cried-

"Iza-"

"It will murder you Shizuo, it will-!"

And suddenly there was something on his mouth hindering to speak.

Izaya blinked and opened his eyes, tears dripping down his lashes. He didn´t realized he had closed them again.

Half heartedly Izaya pushed at the blond´s chest, surprised- the blond was kissing him.

"Shizu-" he tried to protest, but the moment he opened his mouth slightly Shizuo´s tongue found its way inside.

He squeezed his eyes shut at the strange sentation and used his own tongue to push against Shizuo´s, trying to push it out, but…

A gasp escaped his lips when they brushed alongside each other. And suddenly Shizuo tilted his head, deepening the kiss- Izaya´s eyebrows furrowed, but he continued moving his tongue alongside Shizuo´s.

It didn´t feel bad, it…

He felt kinda… hot-

But just as Izaya was about to return the kiss, Shizuo pulled away again. He let go of the flea.

"Sorry. Calmed down now?" he asked instead, hoping that maybe the flea had calmed down now.

…

Izaya just looked at the blond for a second.

.. he had just kissed him.

Again.

"Don´t look at me like that you were freaking out okay." Shizuo mumbled awkward. "I didn´t know what to do." He shrugged.

Kind of expecting to get something like a slap or a hit from the flea or at least yelled at, like he did in his apartment.

After all.. he did the same thing twice already-

But the raven didn´t say anthing at all. He just stood there, looking at him.

…

Izaya didn´t understand his feelings anymore…

He didn´t know what to do.

He didn´t know.

He didn´t know at all.

He didn´t want Shizuo to die.

Why did it make him so sad when he saw him die?

Why didn´t he laugh?

Why did he enjoy the kiss….?

"Izaya…?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That´s iiitttt *^* for todayyyy
> 
> I hope chu liked the chapter xD
> 
> And just for those who got confused, Izaya just saw that halluzination of Shizuo dying~ Cx
> 
> I couldn´t kill him omg xD yet~ joke xDD
> 
> Well then see chu in the next chapter~! cx
> 
> Chapter 9: Second to last due to 16th October 2015


	10. Second to last 9.1

Chapter 9.1: Second to last

\- Izaya´s point of view. In his apartment. The sun has set.-

"Izaya…?"

For a second the raven was just frozen.

Had the blond just now seriously kissed him again?

Kissed?!

"…are you pissed or something?" Shizuo asked, tilting his head slightly, expecting the raven to freak out like he did before. But he just stayed as he was, not saying anything.

Izaya just didn´t get it.

Furiously he wiped at his face trying to rub away any traces of tears that were left.

Why did he even freak out about… that protozoan dying?

About that woman tearing him apart?

Shouldn´t he not give a fuck about this happening to Shizuo and be glad that she didn't do it to himself..?

So…

Why the hell did he not…

Hit or, push the blond away, or-

A frown crawled onto his expression.

He didn't get it anymore. He was so fucking confused.

Something was really messing with him.

Shizuo was still looking at the raven for some kind of reply, but nothing came from him.

"Uhm, Izaya…?" he tried once more, snapping the raven out of his thoughts.

Izaya, however, glanced away and observed his surroundings instead, carefully.

"Do you think she is really gone already…?" he asked, avoiding what Shizuo had done just now and just how confused he was, making the blond look around as well.

"… I don´t know to be honest… But why should she have disappeared if not for good?" he shrugged.

After all, that woman didn´t look like she would just let them go or like she just wanted to play with them.

She seriously was after the raven.

Izaya frowned.

But who knew-

"Maybe she wants to play with us after all." He commented bitterly.

If that was true then she could come back any minute, she would come out of the shadows when they didn't see it coming and then she would get him. Maybe that was her plan; pretend they were safe only to surprise them a little later.

Ghoosebumps ran down Izaya´s spine when he thought about the possibility that she might still be watching them from somewhere.

Waiting.

Like a predator for its prey.

"She can only stay for an hour." Startled the two turned around at the deep voice disturbing the silence, only to face the only too well known second demon, Akem manah.

A grin had flashed across his skeletal face and he approached the two from the shadows.

"Well done, you survived." He chuckled. Izaya squinted his eyes skeptical.

"What do you mean she can only stay for an hour?" he asked the demon, even though he didn´t really intend to believe what that thing said anyway.

He didn´t trust him.

Not one bit. And he seriously couldn´t understand how Shizuo could fall for his tricks so easily.

There just was something about that guy that irked him-

But he sure did want to hear his explanation.

"She is a low ranking demon. Nothing like my kind." Akem manah started, laughing amused as if the raven had made a hillarious joke, "She can only stay for an hour after the sun has set, then she has to retreat into the shadows." He explained, a smirk sitting on his expression.

"So she really won´t return?" Shizuo asked, already believing what the demon said yet again. Annoyed and irritated Izaya rolled his eyes at the childlike response.

Seriously.

The blond was way too naïve.

"Exactly. At least for tonight she won´t be able to appear a second time." Akem manah repeated, making the blond sigh relieved.

"That means we can return home right? And she won´t appear again." he turned to look at Izaya. The demon nodded once more.

"Indeed, that´s what Im saying." A smile formed on Shizuo´s lips at that response.

He had already feared that, that woman, would return in just a bit and try to get the raven once more. And what he feared even more than her just returning, was the fact that he didn´t know if he would be able to free the flea again like he did before with the shadows.

"Then we should go home." Shizuo mumbled, looking at Izaya who still hadn´t really been responsive at all.

The raven, however, was still eyeing the demon skeptical.

He still didn´t believe that thing had any good intention towards them at all.

No way.

He was a demon.

A demon.

For fucks sake.

He might as well be helping that woman.

"Sure." He mumbled, his eyes not leaving the demon for a second. He didn´t see any harm in going home though.

After all, it seemed those demons could attack them anywhere they wanted anyway.

Shizuo took a step forwards, toward the end of the alley and Izaya followed,

Only then he noticed that they didn´t actually run far away from Shizuo´s apartment.

The opposite actually.

Now that he came to think about it he realized that they had been running in circles around his home…

…

Had that been on purpose by Shizuo or did that woman manipulate them somehow?

Shizuo´s expression, however, was growing pretty irritated as well, leading Izaya to the conclusion, that the blond did not in fact do this on purpose at all.

A little annoyed Shizuo tried to think back just which turns he took at which corners, but no matter how hard he thought about it, he was dead sure he just ran straight away from here.

After all, that would be the only logical thing to do.

Still frowning about that matter he stepped back into his apartment. The part of the seal that he drew before the demon appeared was still on the floor.

Almost instantly Izaya sight fell on it.

"You really drew that thing?" he asked, frowing a little. Shizuo, to Izaya´s displeaser, nodded-

"Of course. He said once we finish that circle the demon is going to disappear after all." Shizuo rectified himself.

But Izaya wasn´t that convinced.

"As far as we know that seal might as well be some trick of that Akem Manah guy to get even more demons over here." He commented bitterly. A clear of a throat was heard.

"The Akem manah guy is still here you know." The demon threw in, but the raven just rolled his eyes.

"Are you still going on about that? I believe that demon." Shizuo argued, not getting why Izaya was that stubborn. "If he really wanted to kill us or something he could have done so ages ago, right?" he tried to explain.

But even that explanation didn´t satisfy the raven.

"Believe what you want." He hissed, stalking over to the blond´s bedroom and slammed the door shut. Arguing with that brute seriously was useless.

Irritated, Shizuo let himself flop onto his couch, making it creak under his weight.

"You are just letting him leave like that?" Akem manah asked, chuckling amused over the little quarrel that he was the cause of.

Shizuo glared slightly at him.

"How about you just leave for now? Or are you going to stay here the whole night?" Shizuo asked, leaning back onto the couch.

He was kinda done with this demonic stuff for now.

That woman was gone and Akem manah didn´t mean any harm. He wanted some peace for once.

The demon smirked, but nodded.

"I see I´m not particularely welcomed here. Well, I shall excuse myself then. See you at night my friend." And with those words he dissipated into thin air.

Deep in thoughts Shizuo stared at the now empty spot in the living room.

Sure. Maybe Izaya did have a point about that guy being a demon and not trustworthy. But would he just leave then when being told so and try to help them?

He obviously did.

Izaya rambled something about cockroaches being inside of him.

That was the work of the woman, for sure. But when Shinra scanned Izaya there were no cockroaches there, so, Akem manah really got them out of Izaya.

Why would he do that if he were the enemy?

Besides, no matter how he thought about it, Akem manah always talked bad about that woman, how she was a low demon and only vengeance moved. It didn´t really sound like he was too fond of her.

So maybe even if he was a demon he just helped them to annoy that other demon.

At least to Shizuo it sounded like a possible reason.

It sounded like something Izaya would do actually.

He sighed and rolled on his side.

He had enough of this bullshit.

For now he was just tired.

He just closed his eyes and-

*BAM*

Instantly his eyes shot back open and darted around.

What was that?!

"Shizuo?" suddenly a whisper was to be heard and Shizuo got up from the couch.

It was Izaya who had whispered it seemed.

The door to his bedroom was opened a little.

Quickly he stood up and shuffled over, opening the door completely. He almost expected to see that woman in there now, trying to kill Izaya or standing in the corner watching them crazily.

But instead there was nothing at all.

Just Izaya, in his bed.

Shizuo blinked, a little confused, but sighed relieved.

"What do you want?" he asked the raven, since he had called for him.

But Izaya just stared at him, his eyes looking he scared and he just pointed towards the floor.

"Shizu-chan- I think there is something under the bed-" he whispered quiet. Shizuo stared at the raven for a second, before snorting at the childlike answer.

Under the bed? Seriously?

"Izaya the demon is gone. There is nothing to be afraid of." He tried to calm the flea, but he just shook his head.

"Please check-" he mumbled and hid under his covers.

How odd.

The flea did behave strange when he was scared but this childish acting took his behavior to a whole new level.

Shizuo sighed and stepped forward, grinning slightly.

"Stupid louse," he crouched down to look below the bed. "there is noth-"

And suddenly his blood froze.

Izaya- was laying under the bed, shivering, crying, blood dripped down his face and he stared back at the blond quivering.

Trembling he pointed up and a trembling whisper left his lips.

"… Shizuo.. that´s not me-"

Shizuo blood froze and looked up, only to stare right into black sockets.

Teeth grew from her mouth.

Shadows got ahold of him and Izaya.

And then she brought her jaw down into his guts-

"AH-!"

Screaming Shizuo shot up from the couch-

His eyes darted around and he shuffled around, only to fall off it.

He wasn´t in the bedroom.

And it wasn´t dark anymore.

It was bright.

It was light.

Red eyes were staring down at him from above. Obviously amused.

"Had a nightmare?" Izaya asked, a smirk crawling onto his expression.

Shizuo glared at the raven, finally realizing, that it had all been a dream.

"Seriously Shizu-chan, I don't get how you can even sleep like this." Izaya teased and shook his head, obviously trying to agitate the blond.

Shizuo just glared at the raven for a second before getting up onto the couch.

It was bright already.

How long did he sleep?

A short glance at the watch on his wrist answered that question rather easily though.

It was nine pm.

He actually slept the night through.

Without the demon returning, he added in his thoughts before looking at Izaya once more.

He was walking around in the living room with a cup of coffee.

His eyes had dark circles below them and he looked like he was pretty exhausted.

"You didn´t sleep I guess?" he retorted, making the raven frown as he was taking a sip of his coffee.

"Of course not." He replied. As if he would be able to sleep when he knew there was a demon after his life.

He had kept himself awake with coffee through the night, while that brute had been snoring peacefully.

Shizuo yawned, still kinda sleepy and glanced over at the raven.

"You should sleep some." He comented, of course expecting the raven to immediately argue with him about that.

"I don´t want to."

Just as he thought. Sighing he got up from the couch and walked over to the raven.

He was so not in the mood for this right now.

He has had enough of Izaya´s arguing.

Izaya stared at him frowning, about to ask what he was thinking he was doing, but he didn´t get to do so anymore, because suddenly strong hands wrapped themselves around Izaya´s body and he got heaved over the blond´s shoulder.

"What the-! Let me down!" But Shizuo didn´t even think of doing so. Without a word he walked over to his bedroom, opened the door, and dropped the raven on the bed.

"Sleep." He more or less commanded, crossing his arms.

Izaya was already bitchy and annoying as he was, but he was even more so when he was sleep deprived. At least he concluded that much.

Izaya glared at him from below.

"I said I don´t-"

"I said sleep." Shizuo interrupted the raven once more, glowering at the raven. "You need it, and it´s day, you don´t even have to be afraid of anything."

Which didn´t seem to be what Izaya thought at all. The opposite.

He still kept looking around.

It was obvious he was still scared.

Whatever that woman had shown him sure got to him.

"Just sleep, okay? She won´t return in the day." Shizuo tried reasoning with the raven anew and turned around, about to leave the room, but the word the raven whispered next made the blond pause.

"..Stay.." it had only been a quiet mumble, but Shizuo knew what he heard.

He turned around again to look at the flea. But of course he had averted his gaze as if he had never said anything in the first place.

…

"…scared?" Shizuo tried asking in the same one-word-manner as Izaya.

"…" Only silence greeted him in response though.

Of course.

As if the raven would admit now that he had asked the man he obviously hated, to stay with him so he could sleep because he was scared.

"She can´t do anything to you, you know…" Shizuo mumbled, but it just caused the raven to frown.

A sigh escaped the blond´s lips and he closed the bedroom door, only to return to the bed and a very surprised Izaya, as he laid down on his bed.

"If I stay here like this, will you sleep?" he asked, purposely glancing away from the raven.

And really, from the corner of his eyes Shizuo thought to see something akin to a nod from the flea.

A faint smile spread over his lips and he closed his eyes for a second. He was still sleepy after all. He may as well sleep some more, too.

After the raven fell asleep that is.

If Izaya knew he wouldn´t actually be watching him he would probably refuse to sleep again right away.

Izaya´s thougths meanwhile though, were thinking about something entirely different.

All morning and night he had been scared of the demon indeed, he had stayed up because there was just no way he could sleep when that thing could return anytime.

And he wasn´t going to just believe that it wouldn´t return like Shizuo did, no thank you.

But from the moment since Shizuo had picked him up and brought in here, different thoughts had started to invade his mind.

Thoughts about what happened tonight. And he wasn´t thinking about the horrifying stuff the woman did, no. He rather found himself thinking about how Shizuo had kissed him again.

And it really irked him that he did in fact now think about it nonstop. And what irritated him even more was the fact that he kept staring at his lips.

The first time Shizuo had kissed him he was literally offened, if not even disgusted by it.

He didn´t see it coming at all.

Well he didn´t see it coming the second time either, but…

Somehow… that kiss before was different.

For once, he hadn´t lashed out at the blond.

And second… he almost thought… he enjoyed the kiss.

He enjoyed the kiss so much, he kind of… in a really weird way.. wanted to do that again…

And that was really irritating him.

Because he just couldn´t stop staring at Shizuo´s face.

At his lips in particular.

And he was so focused on them-

"What are you staring at me for?"

-that he didn´t realize the blond had been looking back for a while-

Awkward he looked away again, trying to come up with an excuse.

…

He glanced back at the blond once more.

Maybe…

He could figure out what it was that irked him so much if he tested it…?

"Izaya…?" Shizuo still didn´t get an answer why the flea was staring.

The most important question was… why did he want to kiss the blond again….?

And suddenly the louse shuffled over, moving their faces really close.

Shizuo´s question got stuck in his throat and he blinked at the raven.

"What..?" but Izaya leaned forward even more, shutting off his lips completely.

"Ne Shizuo.. hold still for a second okay...?" Izaya mumbled, leaning forward even more.

"I.. just want to try something…"

To be continued…

Sorryyy, I have a nerve inflammation in my right hand and seriously couldn't type more ;-; This shit really hurts.. sigh…

You will get the other half of this chapter as soon as possibleee 3

See this as chapter 9.1 xD Chapter 9.2 will be updated somewhere before I post the last chapter on October the 31st cx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sowwyy i forgot to update here and only did on fanfiction.net xDD


	11. The second to last 9.2

Chapter 9.2: the second to last

"Ne Shizuo.. hold still for a second okay…?" Izaya mumbled, leaning forward even more.

"I… just want to try something.."

And then it happened.

Shizuo was just thinking about what the hell Izaya thought he was doing, because it just couldn´t be what it looked like-

But no mistake. It was indeed what he had thought he would do.

Suddenly there were lips connecting with Shizuo´s.

Izaya didn´t remember when exactly he had closed his eyes, but now that he realized he had, he was glad he did.

He was about sure, that if he saw Shizuo´s surprised face he would slap him, or something instead of kissing him, and scram immediately.

But this way- it really wasn´t… too bad.

The opposite actually.

Softly, he moved his lips against the blond´s. His tongue swiped out all by its own and licked Shizuo´s lower lip. He wasn´t just going to do this like some teenage girl, if he was going to try this then it had to be the real deal.

He wanted to feel this sensation again. This weird sensation that kind of made his stomach churn in a pleasant way when Shizuo had kissed him outside. He wanted to repeat it to find out just why he was so … captivated by it.

Shizuo got told not to move, but he just could not, not open his mouth for the tongue that begged for entrance.

Greedily he parted his lips, welcoming the warm muscle and traces along it with his own tongue.

Otherwise he didn´t dare to move.

He had kissed the raven twice. Well by now thrice if this counted.

While he was just kinda testing things with the first kiss, he did have other intentions with the second one. Sure Izaya was kinda freaking out, but still. He was not only kissing him to calm him down as he had claimed.

Because it just felt really great. That sudden affection he had for the raven confused the shit out of him. But if it felt that good to be confused then he didn´t mind growing even more diffused.

So he kept staying still- because he was pretty sure the moment he moved or said anything Izaya would retreat instantly.

Softly he felt the lips against his own and that soft tongue inside his mouth, gently gliding alongside his own.

It was really hard not to move anything apart from his tongue though. The raven was basically just a few millimeters in front of him. And to be honest, he didn´t only want to kiss the raven anymore.

He found himself oddly craving for touch. He wanted to wrap his arms around the raven and pull him close.

Little did he know that Izaya probably wouldn´t have minded it too much if he had wrapped his arms around the raven during this soft kiss.

Because actually, he found himself enjoying this even more than he thought he would. Even more than he enjoyed the kiss on the streets.

And it was confusing as fuck.

What did that demon say?

They were destined to be together and that special bond between them hurried up their falling in love…?

Basically…?

He had to admit he was inclined to believe this demon just for once a little bit. Because he just couldn´t explain this sudden and very fast growing…. affection..?

Would he really have fallen in love with that brute after some large amount of time…?

He couldn´t really imagine it.

What reason would Shizuo have to forget his hatred?

It wasn´t like that protozoan would halt one day and suddenly say in the middle of their chase that he was going to forgive him.

No way.

Even though- Shizuo was certainly pretty unpredictable. Maybe he would have even done that some day.

But what reason would he himself have to give up this endless entertaining chase?

Just ... for this?

This kind of feeling?

It was hard to believe but…

When he remembered that scenery… that nightmare where that woman showed him how she killed Shizuo..

Something hurt.

Something seriously hurt at the sight.

He had always threathened to kill Shizuo one day. One way or the other. Through gangs or assassins or even himself, etc-

But now that he actually thought about it- … just since when had he stopped thinking about Shizuo´s actual death?

In this game, this game of Shizuo, he was so busy enjoying himself while playing, he forgot what it meant to win.

The game.. would be over.

Wouldn´t it?

And then?

What then?

He paused, his movements stilling for a bit and for once he opened his eyes.

Brown dark iris' were looking straight back at him, but he didn´t tear his stare away.

If… if this game was over-

He moved his tongue again, head tilted a bit, this time kissing the blond deeper. Shizuo´s eyebrows flinched and then he kissed back, more- suddenly hands found their way on Izaya´s hips.

… wouldn´t…

"Shizuo-" Izaya mumbled, retreating his tongue just for a second to utter his name, before kissing him again, deeply.

… wouldn´t it be possible for this to exist..?

"Kiss me a-"

*BRRRRRRR*

Startled Izaya stopped talking when a loud noise interrupted them. He quickly retreated from the kiss, shuffling on his own side of the bed and Shizuo turned around, looking at his nightstand with a pretty deep frown.

It was Shizuo´s phone that was causing the loud noise.

Its vibrating because of an incoming call and therefore rattling along the nightstand was the source of the noise.

"You should pick up." Izaya mumbled quickly with tight lips- because Shizuo seemed about to say something that pretty much opposed what Izaya just said.

With a sigh Shizuo picked up the phone.

"Yeah?" he answered, while Izaya- was basically going insane.

What. the. Hell. Did. He. Do?!

The blond blinked at a certain doctor´s rambling voice that instantly filled his ears.

"Shinra? What do you want?"

While Izaya, just couldn´t believe what he had been about to do.

Where the hell did those thoughts come from?!

He frowned and threw himself back on the bed, turning his back to the blond.

He couldn´t believe what he just did. He voluntarily kissed that brute and even enjoyed it-

"Shinra it´s day. Of course he is not there."

He couldn´t believe what he had been about to say-

Sure this game might really just end sometime, and sure maybe he really didn´t want that, but still!

This was Shizuo!

Groaning he hid his face in the bed.

Tired. He must be really really tired.

"He said in a few days, right?"

What was Shizuo even talking about with Shinra?

"Shinra, calm down-"

Ah-

Celty.

Most probably. The words "Shinra" and "calm down" just don´t mix if Celty isn´t involved.

And then the line was cut.

-by Shizuo, he just hang up on the doctor it seemed.

"That annoying doctor." Shizuo commented, putting his phone away.

"What did he want?" Izaya asked, not really interested in it, but he had to say something that would distract the blond from what he just did.

Even if it were just a few more seconds for him to come up with an explanation or excuse.

"He just wanted to know why Celty didn´t wake up yet and if that Akem manah guy is still around. Told him that he isn´t of course, then hung up because he was getting annoying." Shizuo explained quickly, still staring at the raven though.

"I see.." Izaya mumbled, staring right back. As if he was hoping to find the answer in Shizuo´s eyes.

"So what was that about?"

The all so dreadful anticipated question. There it was.

"You said ´kiss me´ before-" Shizuo mumbled.

And of course Shizuo had neither not heard it or forgotten in that short amount of time-

"Yeah, you didn´t let me finish." Izaya mumbled quickly, looking away with a frown. "I wanted to say, Shizuo, kiss me anytime again and I will kill you." Izaya smoothed over. Secretly cheering how he came up with that smart line.

No way was he going to say what he was about to say.

There was just no way he was actually going to say- …

No.

"Because I just realized how disgusting you really are. So do it ever again and I will cut off that tongue, got it?" he added further, feeling victorious when the expression on Shizuo´s face grew more and more annoyed.

Yeah, annoyed Shizuo, that was the best kind of protozoan anyway, ne?

A grin flashed over his face and Shizuo glared at the raven irritated.

"Oh don´t worry- I won´t be kissing you anytime soon you disgusting flea." He spat back.

Ahhaaa…

And there it went, the chance of Shizuo ever kissing him again like that.

Not that Izaya wanted to.

No no no.

This whole demon stuff was just messing with him by now, that´s all.

A sudden creak of the bed was to be heard and Izaya´s head tilted up to see the blond move to the door again.

For just fractures of a second Izaya´s mouth opened. Opened to say something that he certainly didn´t want to say now.

Even though he wanted to, but his pride didn´t allow it.

Just no.

He was scared shitless. He really was.

But he wasn´t going to ask Shizuo to stay in this room.

Not now.

Not after he practically told him that he was disgusting and he didn´t want to have him anywhere near.

Not that he was considering his feelings or anything no, he just didn´t want to have the blond around.

Event though he wanted to-

Frustrated he let himself slump back into the bed when the door closed with a rather loud slam. Maybe Shizuo was right. Maybe he should just sleep.

Yeah. He had been staying up all night again after all.

Maybe when he woke up these thoughts would finally stop.

He rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head.

Maybe.

He hoped they would. Because he really couldn´t make sense of these weird feelings anymore.

-5pm. Shizuo´s point of view.-

Irritated Shizuo looked at the piece fo paper in his hands.

Seriously- this seal or whatever the heck it was supposed to be was too damn hard to draw. And it got harder by each night. So many little details- and it wasn´t exactly as if Shizuo had ever been good at drawing. Rather the opposite.

Pencils and him…. Well, didn´t work to well.

And the chalk sticks that the demon had given him had ended up being broken out of frustration once or twice already, before he realized that they would pretty much still need them.

With a sigh he finished the second to last part of the part of the seal that they had to draw tonight.

It was actually already dark outside.

Since about 10 minutes the sun had set, and Akem manah was sitting there on his couch, watching him pretty amused while Shizuo was drawing he had noticed.

And Izaya?

Well he was still in his room.

Not sleeping anymore, no way. But Shizuo guessed that that damned flea just didn´t want to see his "disgusting" self.

A wave of anger surging inside his body he pressed with the chalk a tad too hard onto the floor, sending the other half of it across the room.

Exhaling deeply, in an attempt to calm down again he stood up and walked over, getting the thing again.

Seriously.

Izaya annoyed him.

No.

He pissed him off.

Even more so than he did in their usual chases.

He just didn´t understand that flea anymore.

First he would cling to him say he had to be careful to not die. Then he even kissed him voluntarily- and now that?

Seriously, he would be surprised if the flea himself even knew what he was doing anymore.

Freaking annoying!

"Angry?" a voice was suddenly to be heard as the chalk thing took yet again a little flying lesson through the room.

Irritated Shizuo looked at the demon that was sitting there, grinning as if he was watching the most amusing scene.

"Just so you know, your talk about the bond was bullshit." He spat while walking over to grab the chalk thing once more.

"Oh? You were that inclined to believe me and now that? How come?" Akem manah asked, more amused though then surprised as the blond noted.

"Izaya hates my guts, just so you know. I don´t know what you did with me, because I´m seriously messed up right now, but whatever it was, it didn´t work on Izaya." He stated, finally drawing the last line of the circle´s part for today.

If he weren´t still so furious at the raven he sure would have asked him to help draw that shitty seal, but with things this way? No way.

He was too pissed to ask that raven for anything.

"Oh, but it did work, believe me." Akem manah chuckled in a low voice. His skeleton jaw clattered with each move.

Seriously, sometimes Shizuo did think that that demon was kinda disgusting.

He was a walking skeleton for fucks sake.

"If you mean a bond of hatred, then yeah, that sure did work. But we had that before, so that would be nothing new." Shizuo just threw in, getting up from the floor and walked over to Izaya´s door.

At least what regarded his part of the conversation the talk was over. He didn't really want to speak to that demon anymore today.

Irritated he opened his bedroom´s door.

He wasn´t really keen on talking to the flea again either, but…

It was dark.

And as much as he would have loved to forget all these bullshit feelings for a second, he was still very worried over that damned flea.

Just as he expected, Izaya was sitting there on top of the bed, handling his laptop.

Dark circles were to be seen beneath his eyes and for a brief moment Shizuo wondered if the raven had even slept at all.

"Oi, it´s night." Shizuo mumbled, leaning against the doorframe, avoiding to even look at the raven.

He was still very much pissed at him for doing what he did earlier. He was just messing with him after all, wasn´t he?

"I know." Was the short answer he received from the flea and he continued to let his hands swipe fast over his keyboard.

Clicking sounds were filling the room and Shizuo was just slightly curious what Izaya was doing, that would distract him so much from the fact that that damned woman would be appearing soon again and try to kill him.

He tilted his head a bit, only to see a plan of Ikebukuro and an outlined route on it.

Suddenly the laptop got closed with a click and red, tired eyes were staring back at him.

"You should put some clothes on, we are going outside." He mumbled without looking at the blond for too long as he got up from the bed.

"Outside?" Shizuo asked frowning. It was dark.

And that demon would come any second and he wanted to go outside?

"Don´t tell me you don´t know what the word means, Shizu-chan. Even a protozoan as stupid as you should be able to understand what I said." Izaya just replied snarkily, but the usual grin he would wear when taunting Shizuo was just missing.

The blond ignored what Izaya said and went to the front entrance, putting on some shoes and a coat.

He had no idea what the raven was planning to do. But considering he was that calm even thought that woman would appear any second, he sure hoped he had found some amazing strategy to get away from her.

He didn´t have any intention to ask him again what he was thinking he was doing again though.

As responsive as the flea was he would just get shitty remarks as an answer anyway.

And so they went out of Shizuo´s apartment.

And Akmen manah disappeared again into the shadows.

No word was spoken, but it was obvious that Izaya was still pretty tense even though it seemed he had found some clue how to avoid the woman.

He kept swiping his head around from alley to alley, donw the streets, and sometimes even craned his neck backwards to look if they were being followed.

Not that Shizuo didn´t do about the same. But he just noticed that the flea did as well.

It was 20 minutes after the sun had set when they reach an underground station and Shizuo almost thought he saw the raven do something akin to a relieved sigh.

Without another word he stepped into the underground train and leaned against one of the yellow rods in there.

By the time the train started to move Shizuo was just too curious to not ask anymore what the flea thought he was doing.

"Care to tell me why we are riding around with an underground train now? I don´t think she will not find us if we drive to another part of the city." Shizuo asked, hoping to get something different from an insult as reply.

Izaya just shrugged and rubbed at his eyes sleepily.

He really hadn´t slept at all the whole afternoon.

How could he?

Everytime he closed his eyes that woman would appear before his eyes or even worse- the things she showed him.

And he would love to deny that he did in fact dream about Shizuo for just a few seconds in that 10 minutes lasting sleep.

"We aren´t going to get off the train Shizu-chan." He started. Sighing he let himself slump into one of the red plastic seats.

"That woman wasn´t able to follow us quickly when we were running away, right?" he asked, causing Shizuo to nod.

Of course he remembered it. She was coming closer but not catching up, even thought she was definitely chasing them with all her might.

"That´s why-" Izaya continued, pointing inside the train, "I think she can´t chase us in here. She is a demon, a form from another world. She shouldn´t be able to touch things here. So my theory is that she won´t be able to touch the underground train either. She can´t ride with us in here, therefore, she won´t be able to get us." Izaya concluded.

Basically like a ghost, Shizuo found himself thinking, and looked around.

So basically, instead of running, they were riding away now?

He had to admit it did sound as if it could work.

The blond stepped forward, taking a seat next to the flea.

"Heh, you came up with something smart there." He mumbled, leaing back on the seat and looked out of the window.

The underground train had driven up on the surface and they could now see all the illuminated street signs and cars from the lively city.

"I always come up with smart things Shizu-chan." Izaya retorted, rubbing at his eyes once more.

Shizuo watched the raven.

"You didn´t sleep at all did you?" the question wasn´t even a question. It was more of a statement because it was pretty obvious that the raven had in fact not slept.

A nonchalant shrug followed from Izaya and he leaned his head on the window.

"Just one more night, right? I can manage to stay up that long." he announced causing Shizuo to frown just a little bit.

Sure, he was still pissed at the flea for saying and doing what he did earlier, but he still cared about the damn louse.

"You will sleep when we are home again." he ordered, in a voice that didn´t leave any room for complaint and looked at his watch.

30 minutes had passed since the sun set.

Shizuo was already prepared to receive a complaint about his order. So it was even more surprising when nothing came from the raven in response.

He turned his head to look back at the raven, only to notice how his eyes had went wide with fear.

"Shizu-chan- there is no one outside." He barely heard the flea say in a low whisper.

And really.

The underground train was still on the surface for a few seconds.

But the lights of the cars had disappeared.

Or better, there were no cars anymore.

There were no people anymore walking around.

Only the illuminated street signs were still glowing.

But the city- was empty.

Black invaded their sight again when the underground train drove into the ground once more.

A short glance at Izaya was enough for Shizuo to see just how scared the flea was now again.

Without a second thought he reached out his hand and let it slide over Izaya´s, cold, shaking one on the seat.

A flinch was what he received from the flea and he turned around with eyes wide.

"Hey, she won´t get you. You just said so right? She can´t come in here." Shizuo tried to cam the rven but it didn´t really cause Izaya to stop trembling.

"Yeah…" he mumbled quiet, his eyes still looking outside into the dark, trying to catch a glimpse of anything.

And then suddenly the train came to a halt with an ear throbbing screetch.

But there was no train station.

Shizuo couldn´t even follow izaya´s movements, so fast he had jumped up from his seat and stepped into the middle of the train, eyes darting around anxious.

There was no train station.

They were just under the surface.

"Shizuo why isn´t this shitty thing moving?!" Izaya asked, almost yelled, obviously terrified.

But Shizuo had no answer to that question. Sure, the train could have stopped because of an engine damage or something. But to be honest, even though he would have loved to believe that, he had a really bad gut feeling that this train had not stopped because of earthly reasons.

"Hello Izaya-kun~"

And then eyes snapped towards the end of the carriage.

There she was.

Kuntilanak.

Shizuo unfroze from his sitting position and watned to get up to get to Izaya, but he the second he tried to move he noticed- that he simply couldn´t.

With dread he had to realize that the black shadows that had gotten ahold of Izaya the day before where now holding him in place on the seat.

"Izaya, run-!" Shizuo screamed.

They were underground yes, there was no train station, yes, but there sure as hell was an exit door for emergencies-

"Run-!" And with that the raven finally turned around and stormed to the exit door.

But the woman was just grinning.

Izaya kept fighting with the door handle.

Pushing, pulling, pressing all kinds of places, but the door just wouldn´t open-!

"Izaya-!" Shizuo yelled once more, tryng to tear himself away from the shadows, but they just continued staying there as he watched the woman slowly approach the raven.

"It won´t open-! It won´t-" his breath got caught when he saw the woman approach him with a grin.

"How nice of you to trap yourself in here for me, Izaya-kun~" she laughed, her jaw suddenly widening revealing those dozens of sharp teeth.

Izaya´s face paled considerably at the sight and the frightened tremeble shook his body violently as he pressed himself against the closed door in a childish attempt to make himself tiny.

Only now Shizuo remembered, that Izaya never actually saw the woman this way.

"Izaya-!" he had no idea what he was even yelling for, because the raven could not escape no matter how you looked at it-

"Izaya-!" Violently Shizuo tugged at the shadows until they finally made a ripping sound.

No way- no was he was sitting here and watch that woman tear Izaya up-!

"Izaya-!" with one last pull at the persistant shadows Shizuo managed to get free- and dashed over to Izaya´s side-

He didn´t even flinch when he stormed right past the woman.

His thoughts were only fixed on Izaya and to get between those two.

Within a second he was standing protectively in front of the raven, staring right into the evil woman´s empty sockets.

"Shizuo-" a quiet shaky whisper was to be heard, and Shizuo felt the raven lean against his body.

Hiding his face in his back.

He could feel his body tremble.

No.

He wouldn´t let that woman kill Izaya. Only over his dead corpse.

And then it all went really fast.

The woman laughed one last time and Shizuo felt Izaya cling to his body, before suddenly- he moved.

Izaya moved, and Izaya moved in front of Shizuo, shaking, trembling, his eyes closed, but he moved in front of Shizuo.

The blond couldn´t even react in time-

The woman was already right on front of them, her jaw wide, her sharp teeth almost grazing Izaya-

"IZAYA-!"

And then there was just nothing.

For a second Shizuo thought he was dreaming, because the raven was still standing there, in front of him, and the woman as still standing there, her teeth showing, right in front of them, but nobody moved.

It was as if time stood still.

But time wasn´t standing still.

Because Shizuo could see Izaya shaking.

He could see how he had his eyes squeezed shut and how his lids trembled in fear of seeing what was coming.

It was the demon that had just stopped moving-

No.

She didn´t stop.

She couldn´t go any further.

Confused Shizuo watched as the demon closed her jaw once more, an expression crossing her face that looked just as confused as Shizuo´s.

And then she screamed- screamed so loud the windows of the train shattered.

Shizuo as well as Izaya, flinched at the loud noise and quickly covered their ears with their hands.

And then.

She was gone.

His own hands now shaking a bit as he moved them down and looked around.

The underground train was a wreck.

But the woman was gone.

She was really gone.

"She is gone…" suddenly he heard a quiet mumble. It was Izaya who had said the words as he slowly let himself sink to the floor.

Shizuo was about to say something when suddenly the train started moving again, making him almost fall down.

The underground train was moving again.

With shakey legs Izaya got up from his sitting position and walked towards the doors.

Within, what seemed like only seconds the train surfaced again.

The streets were lively, and they reached the next train station.

Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro.

The speakers announced and with wobbly feet Izaya stepped out of the carriage, Shizuo following right behind him.

There were people. Lot´s of people.

Just like there should be.

".. why..?" only now Shizuo found his words again. the woman had been about to devour them, so why-

"What… what happened?" Izaya managed to ask as well. The woman had barely been there for more than 10 minutes. How come she was gone already?

Shizuo looked around, watching all the people that were busily walking through the streets. Having no clue of what just happened.

"I don't know…" was the only thing he got out, when suddenly a chuckle was heard next to them and an all to well known demon was standing there, wearing a grin.

"Surprised you survived? Well, to be honest I am too." he laughed only confusing the two more.

"What do you mean?" Izaya asked, his voice still trembling slightly.

"The bond is finally formed." Akem manah suddenly stated with a grin and moved over to Shizuo. "I dunno how you did it, but you did it."

"Wait, what?" Izaya threw in, confused by what the demon had said.

"What do you mean, the bond is formed? What bond?" he tried to get an explanation fromt the demon, but he just grinned more.

"Let me guess, before, when that woman was about to devour you, instead of, 'Don't kill me'," he mumbled and laughed for a second, before continuing-

"-you thought, 'Don´t kill him'." And with that, the demon disappeared.

Silence filled the space between the two for a second before Shizuo realized what the demon had actually meant.

If Izaya had actually thought of Shizuo… then wouldn´t that mean-

"Iza-"

"We should head home." Instantly he got cut off by the raven and he started walking off.

…

No mistake.

The demon had said it.

Izaya hadn´t denied it.

Izaya had in fact moved in front of him.

Didn´t that mean….. that the demon had been right after all? Just as he thought?

But if that was true, then Izaya-

"Izaya-" he called the raven´s name, trying to catch up to his walking speed, but instead of letting him catch up, the raven suddenly accelerated, straight out running away from him. For a second Shizuo just stared at the flea, before his old instincts kicked in and he chased right after the raven.

"Tch- Izaya!" he called, but of course the raven didn´t stop. He just ran.

He literally ran away from him-!

That fucking louse-

What was he even running away from?!

Shizuo dashed after the raven, followed him behind every corner, sped up as fast as he could.

The raven was tired.

He hadn´t slept the slightest bit and he was still shaken because of what happened just now.

Shizuo just knew he would be able to catch the flea this time-

This time for sure.

And so he ran, ran after him, until he noticed that he was getting closer, until he noticed that the raven was starting to get slower.

He turned around a corner, around another, and yet again, a until-

THUD-

He had managed to grab Izaya by the hem of his coat and made them both fall to the floor.

Huffing and breathing heavily Izaya tried to get up again and run away anew because- he just didn´t want to talk to the blond!

He didn´t want to answer the questions that Shizuo was going to ask!

But the second he was standing on his two feet again the blond grabbed his wrist and he found himself being pinned to the wall of a building.

Pissed off he glared at the heavily breathing blond.

But no matter how he tried to move, Shizuo seriously had a strong grip on him.

There was no chance of escaping anymore.

"Did you really think about me before?" Shizuo asked, still panting.

Straight to the point huh? He tightened his fists and looked away, avoiding Shizuo´s glance.

"I don't want to talk about i-"

"Izaya." Shizuo just interrupted the flea. He wanted t get answers for once. Honest answers. The raven had kissed him today. Izaya had said he didn´t want him to die today.

And now this.

"I said, I don't want to talk about it." Izaya repeated once more, but Shizuo was just fed up with this.

"Tch- when will you finally stop pretending?" he asked, but this time he didn´t even want an answer to his question. Instead he leaned forward and captured the raven´s lips with his own.

Surprised Izaya´s eyes widened at the kiss, and he tried to push the blond away, tried to kick him and squirmed.

No!

He hated this! He should hate it!

Izaya frowned and tried shoving that tongue out of his mouth. He was refusing to let himself get washed away by a mere kiss-!

A hiss was heard when Izaya bit down hard on Shizuo´s tongue.

The taste of blood was filling their senses, and Shizuo retreated for a second.

Both men glaring at each other.

"Why did you care about me more?" Shizuo asked once more. The frown still in place.

But Izaya just looked away once more.

"Tell me!" Shizuo demanded, but Izaya just kept being stubborn.

"I don't want to." He responded with a shrug.

"Why?" Shizuo repeated ignoring the answer Izaya had given.

…. No answer from Izaya this time though. Not even a witty remark.

"Oh, come on-" Shizuo frowned, tightening his grip on the raven´s wrists just a little bit.

"Just tell me!" he yelled, and then Izaya snapped.

"I don't know, okay?!" he yelled back at the blond, the glare still in place.

Shizuo looked at the raven, his brows furrowed to a frown.

"Huh?" he asked, but Izaya just looked away, biting on his own lip.

"I just didn't want…" he started to mumble, but faded out quickly. The galring expression faded.

… Shizuo watched the raven. Waiting.

"Didn't want what?" he asked again, still tasting the iron on his tongue.

A moment of silence filled the space between them before the raven finally opened his mouth.

"I didn´t want to win." He mumbled.

His answer made Shizuo blink confused though.

"Win..?" he asked again, not getting what Izaya was talking about.

But Izaya just kept silent, kept looking away, and back again into Shizuo´s eyes, as if he wanted to say more, but just couldn´t.

"Izaya. What did you really want to say before?" Shizuo asked this time.

Right before his stupid phone vibrated on the nightstand, Izaya had been about to say something.

And by now Shizuo didn´t believe anymore he really wanted to tell Shizuo that he was digusting then.

Izaya furrowed his brows, looking away, but he didn´t say anything yet again.

Silence.

"The truth this time please." Shizuo added, still watching the raven rather patiently.

Izaya kept fighting with himself.

He knew what he wanted to say.. but..

He sighed annoyed by his own thoughts.

Aha… fuck it-

"Shizuo.. kiss me again, like you did before- … was what I wanted to say." he answered quickly and looked away again, avoiding the blond´s stare.

"but that´s irrelevant, because-" he didn´t get to say more, because suddenly there was a hand cupping his cheek and tilted his head back towards Shizuo´s face.

His wrist had been let go-

"Shizu-" but he didn´t get to saymore, because suddenly there were lips on his again.

But this time the kiss wasn´t rough like before.

It was gentle.

The other hand let go of Izaya´s second wrist, and wrapped around his body instead, pulling him close.

And Izaya- didn´t mind.

He would be lying if he said he hated this. And he was tired of pretending he hated it.

And so he returned the kiss, softly, letting their tongues brush against each other.

Just standing there, Shizuo in front of him, pressing him softly against the wall, and Izaya wrapping his arms around the blond´s neck.

They kept kissing like this for what felt like ages. Bathing in each other´s warmth. And Izaya, he didn´t only not mind.

He loved it.

He loved every second the blond moved against his body and kept abusing his wet and by now a little swollen lips. Moving that tongue around in a deliciously arousing way-

Just for a second they parted to catch their breath. Izaya stared right back into Shizuo´s eyes. A whisper leaving his lips.

"… I seriously hate you…" he mumbled, kissing the blond once more, making the blond smile for the first time.

"Good, because I think I hate you too."

That´s iiitttt *^* for todayyyy

xDD Well I hope you liked this chapter~ and ohhhhhh now let yourself be surprised for the next chappy xDDDD

It's the FINAL one *^* For sure cx And I have a feeling it will be longer too- and scarier~ xD And surprising xD

Nuh worries it will be a "fitting" end~ for this story that is hehe

See you in the LAST chapter~

Chapter 10: Death due to 22ndNovemebr2015


	12. Death

Chapter 10: Death

-Izaya´s point of view. In the alley-

"Oh, how sweet-", a sudden voice murmuring those words interrupted Shizuo and Izaya, making them jump in surprise.

Quickly they parted and Izaya shuffled away from the wall he had been pinned to, staring at that skeleton demon once more.

Akem manah was there again.

"I told you before that the bond has formed~" he chuckled, his teeth clattering against each other. "I´m almost glad you finally decided to stop being so stubborn~" he grinned, glancing at the informant with his gruesome eyes.

The raven glared at the demon in exchange, but he didn´t say anything.

It seemed that actually, for whatever reason, that demon had told the truth about that bond. He also told them that Kuntilanak could only appear for about one hour after the sun had set, which was the truth as well.

Izaya couldn´t think of any reason why that demon would want to help them, but it seemed he did.

Sure, Akem manah had said before that he liked Izaya and that´s why he helped them, but that was just plain ridiculous.

At least in Izaya´s eyes.

But the reason didn´t matter to him anyway.

What he wanted was information.

"So that demon, Kuntilanak or whatever, she won´t appear anymore..?" Izaya asked, hoping he would receive an answer that would finally let him sleep in peace again.

He could still feel a shiver run down his spine when he thought about how that woman had looked before, and what she wanted to do to them.

The image of the sliced up Namie still hadn´t left his mind.

The demon shook his head though, making him frown.

"No? Why not? She disappeared just now, didn´t she?" he threw in, but the demon just laughed at that once more, pissing not only the raven off with that.

"Answer-!" Shizuo grumbled annoyed. He was by now pissed at that demon too. He sure had had a fun time watching him rant to himself about the flea and his strange behavior. And now he seemed just way too amused to Shizuo.

"It´s easy-", the demon started again, with his usual high and mighty voice.

"She just used up all her energy. She needs a certain amount to be able to stay in the human world for just this mere hour. Just now she used nearly all of that energy to make that underground train stop. It´s not an easy task for a low demon as her let me say." He explained, then pointed at Izaya-

"If you hadn't interrupted her, she would have gobbled you up just like that, then and there. But, the fact that you finally accepted the bond, lead to her not being able to touch you two. If you remember, Kuntilanak is a vengeance moved woman. Her husband killed her, she is only searching to kill men, however, not lovers." He grinned, the red light in his empty sockets shimmering.

"The fact, that you allowed yourself to accept the bond, made it that way that she cannot touch you anymore."Shizuo blinked.

"Wait, so she will return, but she can´t harm us anymore?" he asked, his hopes already rising, but the demon shook his head once more, confusing the blond yet again.

"No I didn´t say that." he spoke.

"You did-" Izaya tried to interrupt, but Akem manah wasn´t going to wait for his words to be spoken.

"There is a huge difference between being able to touch you two and harming you. Remember your dreams Izaya-kun? Those cockroaches? They can still touch you and invade you as they please. Want to have some of these critters up your skin again?" he asked, Izaya shuddered at the memory and shook his head quickly.

No way.

He didn´t even want to remember that- a shiver ruptured through his body. Never ever did he want to have something disgusting like that crawling under his skin and eat up his insides.

Shizuo frowned at the demon´s response. He thought it was finally over. Because the woman disappeared like that.

It seriously had looked as if she was going to be gone for good.

At least she screamed like it.

"So, she can still try to kill Izaya another way?" he repeated, making the demon nod once more.

"And that will be pretty soon if I might mention."

Izaya´s ears perked up at that.

"Pretty soon? What do you mean? The night only just begun, she shouldn´t be able to return within 24 hours, right?!" he thought he got rid of that woman at least for now again!

A slight sense of panic filled his senses as he thought about the possibility of that demon appearing once more and trying to kill him.

She had been gone for exactly that time the past two days! So why should it be different now?!

"Ahhhhh- well~" the demon grinned that disgusting smirk of his again.

Izaya swore, for the first time in his life he understood why Shizuo hated to see him smirk like that.

"I think I forgot to tell you something. The longer we demon´s, no matter which kind we are, stay in the human world, the more we gain energy. The higher the rank, the less soon you will be able to actually appear. The lower, the faster. And once you do show up in the human world, well-" a grin flashed over the demon´s face. "- let´s just say the time the demon can stay expands exponentially~"

For a second Izaya just stared at the demon.

"So… Kuntilanak´s energy is higher now? But didn´t you say she used it all up?"

"Oh, that she surely did. For now. The thing is though, within just a single hour, she will be able to regain enough power to return once again- And then…." An evil chuckled ruptured from the Demon´s mouth- "She will try to get you two once more~"

She would return-

Izaya´s eyes widened at that obvious threat.

She would return once more today and try to kill him another way.

He didn´t want to.

He knew she couldn´t try to gobble them up like she did in the underground train just now, but he didn´t want to experience any of the things he saw earlier either!

He didn´t want cockroaches inside his body again, he didn´t want to get sucked inside those shadows once more, he didn´t want to see these gruesome things anymore-!

He didn't want that- he was fucking done with this shit, and now she was returning once more?!

Was he fucking kidding him?!

"You fucking bastard, you never told us anything about this!" Shizuo yelled at the guy, making Izaya look at his watch really quick.

It had been 15 minutes since that woman had appeared.

Only 15.

She would be back within 45-

"Izaya was right after all, I shouldn´t have trusted you, you stupid-!"

"No, no wait Shizu-chan-!" Izaya quickly interrupted the raging blond and stepped in front of him, facing the demon head on.

"You wanted to help us, right? You made Shizuo draw parts of that seal, to get rid on her on the third night, can´t we do anything to get rid of her sooner?" he asked, trying to keep his calm.

Freaking out wouldn´t help them at all in this kind of situation, he still wasn´t exactly what you would call calm and the demon noticed of course.

However, he nodded, making the raven´s heart jump in relief-

"You can capture her sooner. The seal that you have been drawing is actually capturing her a little with each time she appears in the human world. Every time she appears that seal attaches to her just a bit. The second she leaves the human world again, the seal strengthen on her in a way in which not even she can get rid of them anymore. Once you add the last lines, she will get dragged back to the demon world by the hardened chains of hell." He explained, making Izaya grow more and more optimistic.

"So we can just finish that thing now and drag her back?!" he repeated, just making sure once more- because- that would be easy wouldn´t it?!

Shizuo had been drawing that shit for two days-!

She must have two third of those damn chains attached to her already!

Only a few more lines were missing to complete the whole seal!

"Yes, you can. She shouldn´t be able to see the seal. And enough chains should be attached to her already to drag her down before she notices."

And with that the raven started running-

He didn´t even wait for Shizuo to finally catch on to what they had been talking about or follow him, he just needed to get home and finish that thing so she couldn´t return anymore-!

He dashed down the streets, barely noticing that the blond had finally started running too, and caught a quick glance on his watch.

They still had 35 minutes-!

They would be able to draw it!

A grin sneaked onto the raven´s face and he nearly started laughing as they ran down the street together.

Finally!

This shit was going to be over!

At the speed of lighting he dashed up the stairs to Shizuo´s apartment and stormed inside.

The seal was still there on the floor of course.

Almost finished it was painted on the floor, the white piece of paper with the drawn seal was laying next to it.

Quickly Izaya picked it up and scanned the drawing.

There were only a few more lines missing at the edge of the seal!

Hurriedly he dropped down to the floor and grabbed the white pieces of chalk sticks that were laying on the ground. Some really short, or just broken in half- to be completely honest, it looked like two chalk sticks had just been broken into many, many pieces.

He bet that was Shizuo´s work- but he could care less about that right now and quickly started to draw-

Line after line he drew at the outer edge of the drawing.

Stomping was to be heard and finally Shizuo also appeared at the front door.

Izaya hadn´t even closed it after he went inside, he was just too busy drawing the seal.

From the corner of his eyes Izaya could see the blond move over and grab another chalk stick, starting to draw at the other end of the circle.

"How much time left?" he asked, starting to draw on the floor.

Quickly Izaya glanced at his watch.

"25 more minutes-" he answered quickly and started drawing the details of the outer ring.

For a second dread filled him and he looked at the drawn seal on the piece of paper once more.

There were many, many little drawn frills inside the last ring, would they have enough time to draw them before Kuntilanak appeared?

Only shortly he frowned before shaking his head quickly.

No, they just had to!

Line after line he drew on the floor. Once, twice, thrice-

5 minutes passed, then it were 10, 15-

Almost two third of the circle were finished-

Then 5 more minutes passed-

Izaya was already sitting next to Shizuo both working on the last piece of the seal.

Just a few ornamentations more-!

"Izaya-" Suddenly the blond mumbled his name and Izaya froze.

Just 5 more of these symbols were missing-

He glanced up at the blond, seeing him stare towards the door-

There she was.

Again.

"Iiiizaya-kunnnn~" The woman whispered, approaching the raven. "Did you really need to do that?" She asked, a smirk crawling over her face.

But that wasn´t the only thing crawling over her face.

Cockroaches.

Dozens of cockroaches crawled out of her empty eye sockets and onto the floor, towards Izaya.

"It could have been over so quick and peacefully, but no-" she laughed, utterly enjoying herself.

"You like it this way better I see~" she smirked, and suddenly those sticky shadows from yesterday night appeared-

At the speed of light they were crawling towards Izaya- The flea jumped up from his seat, dropping the chalk stick, as he tried to get away from them-

He jumped onto the couch, but useless, the shadows crawled up there too, and before he could even start running away-

It was too late-

"Ah-!" he screamed when something got hold of his leg and pulled him towards the crazy woman-

His eyes went wide and he clung to the leg of the table, trying to stay where he was.

"Izaya-!" Izaya´s eyes snapped back open and he looked into Shizuo´s direction-

He had gotten up from the floor and dropped the chalk sticks as well, running over.

He grabbed the flea´s arm and pulled him towards himself, making the shadow´s rip in half.

"The seal!" Izaya almost yelled as soon as the blond had thrown him over his shoulder.

It were just 4 more lines!

Just four more!

The demon however suddenly ceased all movement and she snapped her head around, seemingly looking for something.

Izaya slapped his hand before his mouth when he realized what she was searching for.

Akem manah had said she couldn´t see the seal-

Meaning she didn´t know they were drawing one-

Meaning if she did find it and destroyed it- there would be no way of getting rid of her-!

Izaya gulped and quickly jumped down from Shizuo´s hold.

He ignored the blond´s protest as well as his pleads to just run away for now.

He had messed up-!

He had said that there was a seal!

That woman wasn´t dumb! If they left now she would destroy it now!

If they could just add those last 4 lines-!

Then she would be gone-! Forever-!

He grabbed one of the tiny broken pieces of the chalk stick and let himself almost fall down to the spot where they were missing-

And then everything went really fast-

He drew one line-

The demon snapped her head towards the raven and a scream was to be heard-

"NO!"

-the second line-

Pain suddenly shot through the raven´s back and he slumped forward-

One of the shadow´s had gotten hold of the cupboard and made it fall onto the raven-

"Izaya!" Shizuo had already shuffled over and heaved it up again within a second, but the raven didn´t even take any time to take notice how he felt something warm and wet trail down the back of his head- he had to finish-!

-the third line-

And then the woman was running towards them herself- her mouth wide open again revealing all those sharp teeth- the cockroaches all crawling after her-

But-

"Too late!" Izaya glared at the woman and then-

-the fourth line-

Suddenly there was a scream- so loud the window´s broke into millions of little shards and fell to the floor-

Izaya covered his ears and doubled over, the blond following him a second later.

The seal started to glow, and suddenly there was a black circle in the middle of the seal-

Black chains, burning with fire shot out from the dark hole and wrapped themselves around the demon before she could even try to flee-

The critters that had been on their way to Izaya and Shizuo, all disappeared into thin air once the chains touched the woman.

The same happened with the shadows that were lurking around.

All of a sudden they were just gone-

Rattling was to be heard, and the chains started to pull the woman toward the black center in the middle of the seal.

A deadly glare was sent at the raven-

"You! I will get you! Just you wait! One day I will get you-!" she screamed madly, pulling at the chains that bound her wrists and feet, but effortlessly of course.

The metal didn´t budge in any way.

Izaya got up from the floor and glared at the woman. "You will never get us-!" he hissed, ignoring the little dizziness the action had caused him.

The woman glared at the two, but only for a second because suddenly her sight fell on someone else in the corner of the room who was watching the whole scenery with obvious amusement.

"You-! You fucking bastard of a demon-!" she yelled, the chains already dragging her down into the pits of hell.

"You will rot in hell for this-!" she screamed before the chains gave a final tug, and she disappeared into the dark hole of the seal.

And then it was quiet.

The seal disappeared.

Just glowed for a second and then.. puff, it was gone.

Just like that.

Silence filled the room for a second and Izaya just stared at the spot.

Only soft pants filled the air and he could feel his heart hammering against his chest.

The dark circle had disappeared.

The woman had disappeared.

Just like that.

"She… she is gone?" he whispered softly. He couldn´t believe it, that woman was gone-

She was really gone wasn´t she?

She really was-

She was-

Forever-!

A smile found its way onto Izaya´s expression and two arms wrapped themselves around the smaller frame.

"She won´t come back anymore." Shizuo whispered, a smile on his face now as well and he hugged the raven tightly.

She won´t try to murder him anymore.

They did it.

Finally.

Laughter suddenly erupted from Izaya´s throat and he jumped up from the ground, swirling around so his eyes could meet with the blond, a relieved glint in them.

"It´s over Shizuo! It´s over!" he laughed, only to suddenly sway and hold onto the blond´s arms tightly-

"Izaya?!" Shizuo asked worried, catching in the flea. Only now he noticed that he was bleeding a bit at the backside of his head.

The cupboard from before-

"Ah, I´m fine." Izaya tried to play it over, even though he was still feeling a little light headed.

The blond sighed and scooped the raven up.

"You almost got squished under a cupboard, and you just swayed as if you were about to fall to the floor. That´s not fine." Izaya laughed at that but stopped complaining.

"Alright, maybe not 100% alright okay." he chuckled.

She was gone.

Fuck.

He thought he would never get rid of her again.

He felt light headed, not only because of his wound but also because he was so relieved.

Gently the blond carried the raven over to the bedroom and set him down.

"Should I call Shinra?" he asked, a little worried as he quickly went to the bathroom and got a wet towel for Izaya´s head.

The wound had stopped bleeding, but he wanted to clean it a little at least.

"No, Shizuo, that´s not necessary. I´m simply a little lightheaded and my head hurts from being hit, but that´s all. Nothing to get worried about." Izaya stated and stretched himself on the bed.

"..Okay." Shizuo mumbled, relieved that the raven wasn´t hurt too bad.

But Izaya couldn´t care less about that right now.

God he was finally free- free from that woman!

A smile spread over his face, before a hearty yawn escaped his lips.

Shizuo snickered slightly.

"Tired?" he asked, using the wet towel to softly wipe away the blood on the backside of Izaya´s head.

The raven snorted and nodded softly. He sure was.

He had barely slept at all the past nights.

And the only times he did, it was anything but a pleasant sleep.

"You should sleep now flea. You have a lot to catch up on." The debt-collector mumbled and placed the towel on the nightstand next to the bed.

"Hmmm I guess so." Izaya yawned softly and let himself drop back into the fluffy cushion.

He had to agree with the blond.

Sleep. That word sounded really tempting.

Suddenly he felt weight leave the mattress and he opened his eyes again to see Shizuo leave.

"Night flea." He chuckled.

…

He was going..?

Before Shizuo could move away, a hand suddenly grabbed hold of his right sleeve. Surprised Shizuo stopped and turned around.

.. he didn´t want Shizuo to leave yet..

"Shizuo.. can you stay?" he blinked when the question left Izaya´s mouth.

The demon was gone, there was no danger anymore.

He had figured the raven would want to be alone now.

"Scared?" he asked, thinking that maybe even if the demon was finally gone Izaya would maybe still be too scared to sleep.

"… maybe…" Izaya mumbled, rolling on his side.

He wasn´t.

Not anymore. But he didn´t want the blond to leave yet either.

Shizuo chuckled slightly at the behavior.

"Alright." He whispered, and did as the raven asked, went to the other side of the bed and laid down beside him. Softly he wrapped an arm around the raven and nuzzled into his hair.

A small blush crept on Izaya´s face, but he kept quiet. It wasn´t like he hated being held like this.

… not anymore he guessed…

"Sleep well Izaya." Izaya smiled and closed his eyes.

He would think about this whole thing and what he was going to do with the blond tomorrow morning.

"Night Shizuo."

-3 am. Izaya´s point of view.-

Startled Izaya´s eyes snapped back open and he blinked-

What…?

A familiar noise made its way to Izaya´s ears and he looked at the nightstand drowsily.

His phone was vibrating?

Groaning Izaya looked at the clock next to his phone.

"What the hell…" he whispered, brushing through his hair and let himself fall back into the pillow.

It was fucking 3:00am-

With a groan he stretched out his hand, and grabbed the tiny device.

God, the illuminated screen felt as if it was burning Izaya´s eyes- it took a second until his eyes got used to the bright light and he could finally see the screen.

He had gotten an SMS.

Surprised he blinked. It was from Celty-

(Get away from that demon!)

Izaya blinked, reading the message again.

From that demon? Was she talking about Akem manah? Ah right, he bit her didn´t he.

Seemed she had woken up now.

Groaning Izaya dropped the phone and rolled on his side.

She was just panicking, that guy was good it seemed. Well as good as a demon could be.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open.

…

Now that he thought about it, wasn´t that guy still there?

What was he doing in Ikebukuro?

Did he ever plan on returning to where he came from?

…

Somehow it irked him. He hadn´t seen the demon since they captured Kuntilanak.

Or did he get sent back to hell or wherever too?

Softly he squeezed the arm that had found its way around himself while he slept.

"Ne, Shizuo are you awake?" he mumbled, tugging at the arm slightly.

Not that he was scared or something… but it sure was unsettling to know that demon was still there.

The blond didn´t answer though.

Damn deep sleeper-

He pulled harder at the arm in an attempt to wake him up when suddenly-

"Shizu-"

One arm-

Izaya´s eyes widened and he shot up from bed, stumbling out of it-

He had just pulled at something-

Something that couldn´t be an arm-! Because- he was holding it in his hands-!

Scared his eyes darted around, and he hit the wall in an attempt to find the light switch in the dark-

"Shizuo?!" he asked, scared until suddenly-

The light turned on.

And he saw it-

The thing he had pulled at..

Was Shizuo´s arm.

One arm-

Only an arm-

The other half of the bed-

Was blood soaked.

The other arm laying on the pillow-

Ripped off.

The head…. Pinned to the wall

Dead.

"Shizuo….?" Izaya whispered, squeezing his eyes shut.

A bad dream-!

A bad dream-!

It had to be a bad dream-!

Suddenly something cold touched his neck and he heard a voice behind him.

"Look on the floor~"

Akem manah….

No

No

NO

On the floor there were.. there were…

He felt nauseous.

It was just like that time... with Namie-

"Familiar with the sight~? Ne, never wondered, why a woman that got killed by her husband would kill another woman~? Doesn´t make sense does it~?"

And… laying there.. on the floor, were the words-

"I win~"

-somewhere in Arayakushimae-

And now the 666 news: Yesterday night two men were found in an apartment. Killed and sliced up by seemingly the same person as in the apartment in Shinjuku. Again words laid with organs on the floor were to be found. It´s possible to be a serial killer. The police isn´t giving out any information considering the contents of the message yet. Until now-

"Kou.. isn't that-" a timid voice interrupted the silence in the living room for a second.

The guy grinned and turned up the volume of the Tv.

The police does not know how the murderer came inside either of the two apartments. The two corpses found could now be identified as Izaya Orihara and Shizuo Heiwajima.

The police is giving their best to find the culprit soon-

"Well Hira… he should have listened." Kyo chuckled watching the news and dropped the remote control on the sofa.

"Never insult a demon~"

THE END

Well then- Admit it- you didn't see THAT coming xDD This is the end of After sunset *^*

A little later than usual, but hey~ cx

I hope you liked the story cx And you aren´t too shocked by the ending xDD But hey, it is a horror kind of story xD And I believe imagining that thing is still out there is way more scary than the demon actually being defeated hehe cx

And nowwww just reminding you!

Soon the new story will continue *^* Well, new/old story-

"The wish to disappear"~!

Be prepares for a heart tugging, very sad, but also fluffy, kind of story cx With surprises that you won´t see coming I promise 3

It should be up soon cx Just needs to be beta-ed anymore hehe cx

Also, from now on I will make my chapters shorter, but in exchange update more frequently- cx Shorter chapters (2500- 3000 words) are way easier to outline and write haha cx

Oh I will keep updating "I want to stay with you forever" just as I did until now though. Changing the chapter length in the last 5 chapters would be weird xD

So far "Behind closed doors" and "A single touch" are the most favourized stories in my poll choices it seems cx

Especially those that e-mail me seem to prefer especially "Behind closed doors" *^* Hehe looks like there is going to be some heart tugging sweet Highschool Shizaya soon~

Well then~ thank you for reading After sunset~!

See chu hopefully soon in one of my other stories cx


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